Reconfigurable RF Power Amplifiers on Silicon for Wireless Handsets (eBook)

Laurent Leyssenne received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Bordeaux, France in 2009. His main field of research is the design of RF power amplifiers. Eric Kerhervé received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Bordeaux, France in 1994. He joined ENSEIRB and the IMS Laboratory in 1996, where he is currently a Professor in Microelectronics and Microwave applications. He has authored or co-authored more than 190 technical papers, and was awarded 17 patents. Yann Deval received the Ph.D. degree from the University of Bordeaux, France, in 1994. He joined the University of Bordeaux in 1994 as an Assistant Professor, and became a Full Professor at ENSEIRB, in 2004. From 1994 to 2006, he pursued his research in the domain of analog and radiofrequency integrated circuits at IMS Microelectronics laboratory. Since 2007, he is in charge of the IC Design Group at IMS. He has published more than 90 papers in international journals and conference proceedings.

Preface 6
Acknowledgments 8
Contents 9
Abbreviations 12
1 Mobile Phone Transmitters for Wireless Standards: Systems, Architectures and Technologies 16
1.1 RF Cellular/Data Transmission Standards and Related Handset Uplink Architectures 16
1.1.1 Introduction 16
1.1.2 Second Generation Radiofrequency Standards and Their Implication on Uplink Architecture 17
1.1.3 Cellular Third Generation CDMA-Based Standards 19
1.1.3.1 Currently Used 3G Standards 19
1.1.3.2 Spread Spectrum Technique: Principle, Advantages and Limitations 22
1.1.3.3 Description of European 3G: WCDMA and Its Uplink High Data-Rate Extension HSUPA 22
1.1.3.4 WCDMA Linearity Requirements 25
1.1.3.5 WCDMA Dynamic Range 26
1.1.3.6 WCDMA Noise Requirements 27
1.1.3.7 Uplink WCDMA Extension: High Speed Uplink Packet Access 28
1.1.3.8 WCDMA Specification Summary 28
1.1.4 Data Transmission Wireless Standards 29
1.1.4.1 Generalities About OFDM Based Standards 29
1.1.4.2 OFDM Principle 29
1.1.4.3 OFDM Robustness to Multi-Path Fading 30
1.1.4.4 OFDMA vs. SC-FDMA 31
1.1.4.5 Summary of WLAN, WIMAX Main Characteristics 31
1.1.5 Power Back-Off Determination 33
1.2 Power Amplifier Topologies for User Equipment 33
1.2.1 Introduction on Power Amplifiers Typical Issues 33
1.2.2 Base Stations Dedicated Efficiency Enhancement PA Architectures 33
1.2.2.1 Outphasing Power Amplifiers 33
1.2.2.2 Doherty Architecture 35
1.2.3 Uplink-Compliant Efficiency Enhancement PA Architectures 36
1.2.3.1 Envelope Elimination and Restoration 36
1.2.3.2 Envelope Tracking 40
1.2.3.3 PA Architecture Using Band-Pass Delta--Sigma Modulator 41
1.2.4 Conclusion 42
1.3 Technologies for Handset PA Design 42
1.3.1 Silicon Versus III/V 42
1.3.2 Presentation of ST Microelectronics BICMOS 0.25 µmTechnology 44
1.3.2.1 Process Brief Overview 44
1.3.2.2 Laterally Doped MOS Transistors 44
1.3.2.3 Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors 50
1.3.2.4 Discussion About Silicon Active Devices 56
1.3.3 PA Protection Against VSWR Variations 56
1.3.4 Presentation of ST Microelectronics Integrated PAssive Device (IPAD) Technology 57
References 58
2 Discretized Reconfiguration Techniques for Radiofrequency Power Amplifiers 63
2.1 Introduction on Fragmented Power Amplifiers 63
2.2 Power Amplifier Bypass Technique 66
2.2.1 Introduction 66
2.2.2 Bypass Topology 67
2.2.3 Experimental Results 69
2.3 Reconfigurable Power Amplifier Based on Parallelized Switched Power Cells 74
2.3.1 Introduction on Discretized Power Amplifiers 74
2.3.2 Dynamic Modulation of Non-linear Kernels 77
2.4 Delta-Sigma Built-In Current Sensing in the Prospect of Power Amplifier Dynamic Reconfiguration 80
2.4.1 Delta-Sigma Modulation Basics 80
2.4.2 Power Detection via Delta-Sigma Built-In Current Sensing 80
2.4.2.1 Built-In-Current Sensor Principle 80
2.4.2.2 General Topology of Delta-Sigma Built-In Current Sensor 82
2.4.2.3 Example of a Low-Pass 1st Order 200 kHz Delta-Sigma Built-In Current Sensor 84
2.4.3 Dynamically Reconfigurable RF Power Amplifier Controlled via Delta-Sigma Built-In Current Sensor 86
2.4.3.1 Design Methodology 86
2.4.3.2 Theoretical Approach of Power Detection in a PA Control Architecture 87
2.4.3.3 Design of the Noise Shaping Transfer Function H (s) 91
2.4.3.4 Management of Linearity/Efficiency Trade-Off via a 1-Bit Delta-Sigma BICS-Controlled Architecture 92
2.4.3.5 Management of Linearity/Efficiency Trade-Off via 3-Bit Delta-Sigma BICS-Controlled Architecture 94
2.4.3.6 Impact of VSWR Mismatch on a Delta–Sigma BICS-Controlled PA 99
2.4.3.7 Conclusion on Delta---Sigma BICS-Controlled Power Amplifiers 100
2.5 Delta-Sigma-Like Closed-Loop Dynamically Reconfigurable Power Amplifier 101
2.5.1 Principle 101
2.5.2 Architecture Synoptic, Block Diagram and Theory 101
2.5.2.1 Architecture Synoptic and Block Diagram 101
2.5.2.2 Non-linear Threshold Voltage Distribution 103
2.5.2.3 Theoretical Approach of This Architecture 104
2.5.3 Design Implementation 105
2.5.3.1 Differential Power Detector Architecture 105
2.5.3.2 Employed Power Detector Topology and Theory 106
2.5.4 Management of Linearity/Efficiency Trade-Off via 3-Bit Delta-Sigma-Like Closed-Loop Reconfigurable PA 108
2.5.5 Conclusion and Comparison with Delta--Sigma BICS-Controlled Architecture 112
2.5.6 Prospect Works Based on These Techniques 112
2.5.6.1 Combined Cartesian/Reconfigurable Dual Loop Architecture 112
2.5.6.2 Linearity Monitoring via Digital Signal Processing 113
References 113
3 Continuous Adaptive Bias Technique for Radiofrequency Power Amplifiers 115
3.1 Introduction and Theory 115
3.1.1 Introduction 115
3.1.2 Adaptive Power Amplifier Principle and Architecture 117
3.1.2.1 Principle 117
3.1.2.2 Diode-Linearizer 118
3.1.2.3 Overall PA Adaptive Bias Architecture 122
3.1.2.4 Theory of Linearity Optimization via Dual Adaptive Bias 127
3.1.2.5 Memory Effects and Adaptive Bias 132
3.2 Design and Measurement of the Integrated Passive Device Dedicated to PA Module 134
3.2.1 MOBILIS IPD Design 134
3.2.2 IPD Characterization 136
3.3 Design and Simulation of the Adaptive Bias Silicon PA 138
3.3.1 PA Silicon Design 138
3.3.2 Simulations 139
3.3.2.1 Small-Signal Performance of the PA Module 139
3.3.2.2 Noise Performance of the PA Module 140
3.3.2.3 Continuous-Wave Performance of the PA Module 140
3.3.2.4 Dual-Tone Performance of the PA Module 143
3.3.2.5 PA Module Performance with a HPSK Modulated Signal 144
3.4 Measurement on PA Silicon and PA Module 147
3.4.1 Measurement on the Assembled PA Module 147
3.4.1.1 Small-Signal Measure 147
3.4.1.2 Large-Signal Measurement 148
3.4.1.3 Characterization of the Overall Transceiver Demonstrator 148
3.4.2 Measurement of Stand-Alone Silicon 150
3.4.2.1 Characterization Test-Bench 150
3.4.2.2 Characterization at 1.750GHz (DCS/EDGE Mode) 151
3.4.2.3 Characterization at 1.950GHz (WCDMA Mode) 155
3.4.2.4 Impact of Finely-Tuned Adaptive Bias on Linearity 158
3.4.2.5 Robustness to VSWR 160
3.4.3 Discussion and Conclusion 161
References 163
General Conclusion 165
Appendix A Impact of Base/Emitter Degeneration on HBT Self-Heating Behavior 167
Appendix B Small-Signal Analysis of a Common-Source Power Stage 169
B.1 Introduction 169
B.2 Power Stage Input/Output Admittances 170
B.3 Power Stage Non-unilateral Trans-Conductance Gain 171
B.4 Power Stage Trans-Impedance Gain 171
B.5 Power Stage Transducer Gain 172
Appendix C Theory of Power and Volterra Series 173
C.1 Power Series 173
C.2 Volterra Series 173
Appendix D Analysis of Stability in Power Amplifiers 175
D.1 Theory of Unconditional Stability 175
D.2 Practical Analysis of PA Stability 176
Index 179