Distributed active transformer - a new power-combining andimpedance-transformation technique

Abstract

In this paper, we compare the performance of the newly introduced distributed active transformer (DAT) structure to that of conventional on-chip impedance-transformations methods. Their fundamental power-efficiency limitations in the design of high-power fully integrated amplifiers in standard silicon process technologies are analyzed. The DAT is demonstrated to be an efficient impedance-transformation and power-combining method, which combines several low-voltage push-pull amplifiers in series by magnetic coupling. To demonstrate the validity of the new concept, a 2.4-GHz 1.9-W 2-V fully integrated power-amplifier achieving a power-added efficiency of 41% with 50-Ω input and output matching has been fabricated using 0.35-μm CMOS transistors

Additional Information

© Copyright 2002 IEEE. Reprinted with permission. Manuscript received May 27, 2001. [Posted online: 2002-08-07] This work was supported by the Intel Corporation, the Army Research Office, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Infinion, and the National Science Foundation. The authors thank Conexant Systems for chip fabrication, particularly R. Magoon, F. In'tveld, J. Powell, A. Vo, and K. Moye. K. Potter, D. Ham, and H.Wu, all of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, deserve special thanks for their assistance. The technical support for CAD tools from Agilent Technologies and Sonnet Software Inc., Liverpool, NY, are also appreciated. "Special Issue on Silicon-Based RF and Microwave Integrated Circuits", IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 50, no. 1, part 2

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