A highly efficient watt-level SiGe BiCMOS power amplifier with envelope tracking for LTE applications

Ruili Wu, Yan Li, Jerry Lopez, Donald Y.C. Lie

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this paper, a pseudo-differential power amplifier (PA) is designed using two SiGe power cells fabricated in the 0.35-μm IBM 5PAe SiGe BiCMOS technology with through-wafer-vias (TWVs). In the continuous wave (CW) measurement, the PA achieves a 2-watt level saturated POUT with power-added-efficiency (PAE) above 65% across the bandwidth of 0.7-1 GHz. The envelope tracking (ET) technique is then applied to the PA for enhanced efficiency using the LTE 16QAM signals with a peak-to-average-ratio (PAR) of 7.5 dB. Beside a conventional single buck converter based envelope modulator (SBEM), a dual buck converter based envelope modulator (DBEM) is also designed for higher power drivability. Measurement shows the ET-PA systems can transmit linear POUT of 25/24 dBm with system PAE of 40%/32% at 750 MHz for LTE 16QAM 5/20 MHz signals.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2012 IEEE Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting, BCTM 2012
DOIs
StatePublished - 2012
Event2012 IEEE Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting, BCTM 2012 - Portland, OR, United States
Duration: Sep 30 2012Oct 3 2012

Publication series

NameProceedings of the IEEE Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting
ISSN (Print)1088-9299

Conference

Conference2012 IEEE Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting, BCTM 2012
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPortland, OR
Period09/30/1210/3/12

Keywords

  • LTE
  • SiGe power amplifier
  • envelope modulator
  • envelope tracking (ET)

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