SiGe power amplifier ICs for 4G (WIMAX and LTE) mobile and nomadic applications

Abstract

SiGe 4G PA development is a key element in enabling integrated 4G front end SiGe ICs. In this paper, we report on a wideband SiGe 4G PA IC which meets WIMAX (802.16e) and LTE specifications. For 802.16e, the SiGe PA produces 25 dBm linear power at Vcc=3.3V for 2.3–2.7 GHz operation with ≪4% EVM and 18% efficiency while meeting spectral mask and exhibiting −43 dBm/MHz second harmonic levels. For TD-LTE, Band 40 (2.3–2.4 GHz) and FDD-LTE, Band 7 (2.500–2.570 GHz), this SiGe PA produces 28.5 dBm linear power while meeting 3GPP spectral mask and EVM specification for QAM 16.