Design and implementation of millimeter-wave power amplifiers on CMOS

© 2009 Dr. Byron Neil WicksThis thesis develops the theory and design techniques used to implement Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor (CMOS) millimetre-wave power amplifiers for use in integrated wireless transceivers allowing low cost, power efficient, high data rate and highly integrated transceivers for communication and radar applications. Although technology is constantly improving and knowledge is continually advancing the full integration of a power amplifier on die remains a challenge for millimetre wave transceivers. This is due to several causes: the reduction in supply voltage with the scaling of CMOS technology; the limited power gain of the active devices at millimetre-wave frequencies; and the high parasitic losses of the submicron CMOS process. From the theory developed in this thesis several power amplifiers have been designed, implemented and tested including a millimeter-wave automotive power amplifier, a 75 – 95GHz wideband power amplifier and a 60-GHz Doherty power amplifier