A Compact 75GHz PA with 26.3% PAE and 24GHz Bandwidth in 22nm FinFET CMOS

This paper presents the design of an E-band PA in a 22nm FinFET CMOS process. The design utilizes device neutralization and low-k transformers for gain and bandwidth enhancement. A holistic design methodology is employed to further optimize PA efficiency. The PA achieves a peak gain of 18.6dB with a 3dB bandwidth of 62-86GHz (24GHz). At 75GHz, the measured Psat, OPldB and peak PAE are +12.6dBm, +5.7dBm, and 26.3%, respectively. The PA can amplify a 6Gb/s 16-QAM signal at an average P
_out
of +5dBm with a PAE of 10% and -26dB EVM(rms). Compact layout of the PA yields a core area of 0.054mm2, enabling compact integration into phased array transceivers.