A multiband 40nm CMOS LTE SAW-less modulator with −60dBc C-IM3

Due to the increasing demand for communication bandwidth combined with the scarceness of free spectrum, the complexity and versatility of 4^th-generation modulation schemes is greater than ever. In particular, the LTE standard defines multiple RF bands and groups OFDM modulated subcarriers into Resource Blocks (RB) that can be flexibly used within the allocated channel bandwidth. When the transmitted power is concentrated in one or a few RBs, counter-intermodulation products (C-IM) may fall directly or through cross-modulation into the RX band and degrade FDD performance. They may also fall into protected bands and violate spectral emission requirements.