A Wide-Bandwidth PVT-Reconfigurable CMOS Power Amplifier with an Integrated Tunable-Output Impedance Matching Network

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Radio Frequency (RF) Engineering
• Semiconductor Device Physics

Background:

• Wideband CMOS power amplifiers (PAs) are crucial for modern wireless communication systems.
• Linearization and performance stability across process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variations remain significant challenges.
• Previous research focused on linearization tuning, necessitating further improvements in output power and gain stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a wideband CMOS PA with enhanced maximum output power, gain, and power added efficiency (PAE) across PVT variations.
• To maintain linearity over a wide frequency bandwidth (1 GHz).
• To improve the robustness, reliability, and production yield of the PA design.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a digitally assisted wideband pre-distorter (DAWPD) at the driver stage for linearization.
• Implementation of a transformer-integrated tunable-output impedance matching network to stabilize performance.
• Fabrication using a 130 nm CMOS 8-metal-layer process.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 1 GHz operating bandwidth from 1.7 to 2.7 GHz.
• Maximum output power ranged from 27 to 28 dBm with a peak PAE of 38.8 to 41.3%.
• Power gain was 26.9 to 29.7 dB; linear output power and PAE for LTE signals were 24.0 to 25.1 dBm and 34.5 to 38.8%, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The proposed DAWPD-PA with tunable output impedance matching demonstrates resilience to PVT variations.
• The integrated tuning mechanisms, particularly the impedance matching network, ensure stable performance.
• The design offers improved robustness and reliability for wideband wireless applications.