Design of Two-Way Transformer Combining <i>E</i>-Band Power Amplifiers Using 16-nm FinFET Technology With Optimal Matching Networks

This article presents two E-band power amplifiers (PAs) fabricated using the 16-nm fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) technology, characterized by a transition frequency (<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{\mathrm {T}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) of 332 GHz and a maximum oscillation frequency (<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{\max }$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) of 235 GHz. These PAs operate at low supply voltage and use a careful layout strategy to reduce the occupied area significantly. They use a transformer coupling technique, optimizing the matching network (MN) using additional series inductance and shunt capacitance. This technique improves the gain and efficiency and maintains a compact layout, making it suitable for millimeter-wave (mmW) applications. The one-way E-band PA achieves 12.6 dBm of saturated power (<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), 21.4 dB of gain, and 20.2% of power-added efficiency (PAE). Another PA features a two-way power-combining technique, occupies a die size of 0.192 mm2, and generates 14.4 dBm of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, 23.3 dB of gain, and 15.4% of PAE. With an increase of 20% in the supply voltage of the power stage, the second PA achieves <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of 16.1 dBm, a gain of 25.1 dB, and 20.8% of PAE.