A 135–170 GHz power amplifier in an advanced sige HBT technology

Abstract

Summary form only given. High-power, broadband power amplifiers (PA) operating in the D-band (110-170 GHz) are essential towards implementation of broadband frequency multiplier chains at sub-mmWave frequencies. In this paper we present the design of a 3-stage power amplifier (PA) with 3-dB bandwidth of 35 GHz (135-170 GHz) and implemented in 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology. A staggered tuning approach where the peak gain of the individual or group of individual stages are tuned at offset frequencies is used for broadband operation. In the 135-170 GHz, the small signal gain for the PA is 14-17 dB and the saturated output power (Psat) varies from 5-8 dBm and the output referred 1 dB compression point (P1dB) varies from 1-6 dBm over this frequency range. The nominal dc power consumption of this PA is 320 mW with peak PAE of 1.6%. To our best knowledge, this is the highest bandwidth reported for silicon PAs in the D band.