A SiGe-based high-gain power amplifier for E-band communication systems

Author

Fuqan, Muhammad ; Jahn, Martin ; Stelzer, Andreas

Author_Institution

Inst. for Commun. Eng. & RF-Syst., Johannes Kepler Univ., Linz, Austria

fYear

2013

fDate

6-8 Oct. 2013

Firstpage

149

Lastpage

152

Abstract

This paper presents the design of a high-gain power amplifier applicable, for example, in gigabyte point-to-point wireless services in the E-band (81-86 GHz). A three-stage amplifier was designed using differential cascode configurations. The proposed design was fabricated in a SiGe:C technology featuring 200-GHz f_T heterojunction bipolar transistors. Measurement results show a saturated output power of 16.6 dBm and an output referred 1-dB compression point of 14.6 dBm. The design achieves a power added efficiency, a figure of merit, and a small signal gain of 11.8%, 48 dB, and 32 dB respectively. The amplifier is driven by a 3.3-V power supply and consumes 114 mA.

Keywords

Ge-Si alloys; carbon; differential amplifiers; heterojunction bipolar transistors; millimetre wave bipolar transistors; millimetre wave power amplifiers; E-band communication system; SiGe; current 114 mA; differential cascode configuration; frequency 200 GHz; frequency 81 GHz to 86 GHz; gain 32 dB; gain 48 dB; heterojunction bipolar transistor; high gain power amplifier; point to point wireless service; power added efficiency; saturated output power; three stage amplifier; voltage 3.3 V; Gain; Impedance; Power amplifiers; Power generation; Power measurement; Semiconductor device measurement; Silicon germanium; E-band communciation; Millimeter-wave circuits; power amplifier; silicon germanium;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC), 2013 European

Conference_Location

Nuremberg

Type

conf

Filename

6687807