Design techniques and considerations for mmwave SiGe power amplifiers

This paper describes the techniques to design a SiGe power amplifier (PA) for millimeter wave (mmW) applications. The design methodology of a balanced four-stage common emitter circuit topology was reported. The power amplifier was fully integrated including matching elements and bias circuit. The matching networks use coplanar waveguide (CPW) lines and MIM capacitors. Design considerations including parasitic elements, interconnections, pad model and matching structures are detailed. All these elements are taken into account to optimize the maximum output power. A comparison of the simulated and measured small-signal results is presented up to 110 GHz. The simulated and measured large-signal parameters are shown at 60, 65 and 77 GHz.