A Ka-Band Quasi-F-1 Power Amplifier in a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS Technology

In this paper the design, analysis and implementation of a single-stage, 2nd-harmonically tuned, quasi-inverse class F power amplifier, suitable for mm-wave 5G applications is presented. A detailed methodology for the discovery of the active device’s output capacitance is analyzed leading to optimized performance. The PA is integrated in a 0.13 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology with fT/fmax = 250/ 370 GHz, achieving a power-added efficiency PAE > 30 %, a saturation output power Psat > 18 dBm and a maximum large-signal power gain Gp > 14 dB, in the frequency band 37 – 40 GHz. The chip size is 0.605 × 0.712 mm2 including all pads.