A Ka-Band 4-Channel CMOS Beamforming Front-End IC with Built-in Linearizer for Data Relay Satellite System

A Ka-band 4-channel CMOS beamforming front-end IC for data relay satellite system is introduced. A differential 4-way power combiner and differential SPDT switches are used to reduce parasitic ground inductance effect. Also, an active phase shifter with variable gain function is integrated, which reduces both chip size and DC power of the 4-channel beamforming IC. A built-in PA linearizer is integrated, which improves linearity of the PA. The PA has OP1dB of 19.5 dBm, peak PAE of 34%, and AM-PM distortion of less than 1 degree at 27 GHz.