Linear CMOS RF Power Amplifiers (eBook)

Introduction.- Requirements of wireless standards.- Transmit output power levels.- Digital modulation considerations.- CMOS transceivers.- Impact of the Power Amplifier in the transceiver performance.- Power amplifier integration considerations.- Organization of the book.- CMOS performance issues.- Breakdown voltage phenomena.- Hard breakdown.- Soft breakdown.- Output load.- Optimum load concept.- Conjugate vs. load match.- Knee voltage effect.- Substrate losses in CMOS.- Current limits in CMOS.- Power Amplifier metrics.- AM-AM distortion.- Saturated power (PSAT) and 1dB compression point (P1dB).- Effect of the PSAT and P1dB on digital modulation.- Output third-order intercept point (OIP3).- AM-PM distortion.- Effect of the AM-PM distortion.- Digital channel metrics.- Spectral regrowth.- Error vector magnitude.- Efficiency metrics.- Drain efficiency.- Power Added Efficiency.- Power capability.- CMOS integration useful architectures.- Integrated CMOS Power combination.- Magnetic coupling.- Simple parallel combination.- Doherty Power Amplifier Solutions.- Dynamic Supply.- Digital predistortion.- Cascode transistor.- Thick oxide transistors.- Self-biased cascode Power Amplifiers.- RF Power Amplifier Fundamentals.- Linear and non-linear Power Amplifiers.- Current-source mode Power Amplifiers.- Class A Power Amplifiers.- Class B Power Amplifiers.- Class AB Power Amplifiers.- Class C Power Amplifiers.- Switch mode Power Amplifiers.- Class D Power Amplifiers.- Class E Power Amplifiers.- Class F Power Amplifiers.- Power Amplifier design.- A model for linear Power Amplifiers.- Model description.- Linear region of the transistor conductance.- Non-linear region of the transistor conductance.- Output power, drain efficiency and PAE.- Model based analyses.- Effect of the cascode transistor.- Effect of the inductor parasitics.- Effect of the PA biasing.- Starting point parameters.- Measurements comparison.- Power amplifier design.- Schematic circuit description.- Design flow.- Ouptut network.- Output stage.- Input network.- Driver stage.- Interstage matching and stability.- Power inductor design.- Top metal layer considerations.- Multiple metal layers considerations.- Inductor geometry considerations.- Accuracy analysis of the electromagnetic simulator.- Power inductor design flow.- Layout design.- Circuit isolation.- Differential design considerations.- Balanced inductors.- Common-centroid.- Passive components.- Low value resistors.- RF capacitors.- Stage isolation.- PAD design.- Test set-ups and results.- One-tone PA measurements.- Test set-up.- Current consumption.- Input matching.- Power gain.- Output 1dB compression points.- Saturated output power.- Power Added Efficiency.- Digital channel PA measurements.- Test set-up.- Error vector magnitude.- Spectrum mask.- Reliability and maximum ratings.- Power Inductor measurements.- Test setput.- Inductance.- Quality factor.- Conclusions.