A mm-Wave On-Off-Keying radio transmitter with 10 GHz bandwidth employing 130 nm CMOS

Abstract

This article suggests a millimeter-wave wideband large-data-rate on–off-keying (OOK) transmitter (Tx) analysis, design, and implementation for high-speed systems in 5G Applications. The on–off-keying transmitter comprises of a tunable source of RF signal, a wideband high-speed OOK modulator, and a broadband RF power amplifier (PA). A novel circuit topology for the tunable source of RF signal, which comprises of transformer-tank VCO, Gilbert-frequency doubler (FD), and two-stage driver amplifier (DA). The on–off-keying modulator is built by transconductance transistors cascoded with the switching transistors to obtain high on–off isolation. The broadband PA is constructed depending on the inverse class-F architecture, which comprises of Class-AB driver stage and inverse Class-F power stage with harmonic elimination and output matching networks. A new interleaved U-shaped high-coupling transformer design, a primary capacitor ($C_P$), and a secondary capacitor ($C_S$) are utilized as a triple band high-quality tank-circuit for the proposed VCO. Moreover, the new high-quality on-chip transformers are implemented for input, inter-stage, and output matching of the Tx elements, that are used to improve RF performance. The on–off-keying RF transmitter was designed using a 130 nm CMOS process and realized an output power ($P_{out}$) higher than 10 dBm and dissipates a power equal to 86.43 mW from 1.2 V DC-supply voltage. Each element was separately designed and simulated to define its performance metrics in the transmitter. The tunable source of RF signal works in a frequency range from 30 GHz to 40 GHz and gives a phase noise (PN) equal to −110.5 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz frequency offset. The Figure of Merit (FoM) equals −194 dBc/Hz, the highest attained output power $P_{out}$ equals to 8.2 dBm, consumes a die size equal to ${0.076mm}^2$, and dissipates a power equal to 4.7 mW. The OOK modulator provides good on–off isolation greater than 38 dB, a conversion gain equal to −0.25 dB, a data rate reach to 10 Gbps, an output 1 dB compression point (O1dB) equal to −2.29 dBm, the modulator die size equals to ${0.079mm}^2$ and consumes a DC power equal to 11.23 mW. The class-F^-1 PA provides a constant $P_{out}$ equal to 15.7 dBm, an ultimate power added efficiency (PAE) of 12.7 %, the biggest gain of 12.7 dB, dissipates a power equal to 50.48 mW and consumes a die size equal to ${0.2mm}^2$.