JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science

The Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers (대한전자공학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

A CMOS Envelope Tracking Power Amplifier for LTE Mobile Applications

  • Ham, Junghyun (Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University) ;
  • Jung, Haeryun (Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University) ;
  • Kim, Hyungchul (Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University) ;
  • Lim, Wonseob (Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University) ;
  • Heo, Deukhyoun (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, Washington State University) ;
  • Yang, Youngoo (Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University)
  • Received : 2013.11.27
  • Accepted : 2014.02.22
  • Published : 2014.04.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

This paper presents an envelope tracking power amplifier using a standard CMOS process for the 3GPP long-term evolution transmitters. An efficiency of the CMOS power amplifier for the modulated signals can be improved using a highly efficient and wideband CMOS bias modulator. The CMOS PA is based on a two-stage differential common-source structure for high gain and large voltage swing. The bias modulator is based on a hybrid buck converter which consists of a linear stage and a switching stage. The dynamic load condition according to the envelope signal level is taken into account for the bias modulator design. By applying the bias modulator to the power amplifier, an overall efficiency of 41.7 % was achieved at an output power of 24 dBm using the 16-QAM uplink LTE signal. It is 5.3 % points higher than that of the power amplifier alone at the same output power and linearity.

Keywords

References

  1. Y. Yang, J. Cha, B. Shin, and B. Kim, "A fully matched n-way Doherty amplifier with optimized linearity," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 986-993, Mar. 2003. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2003.808713
  2. J. Lee, D. Kim, J. Burm, and J. Park, "Integratable micro-doherty transmitter," Journal of Semiconductor Tech. and Science, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 275-20, Dec. 2006.
  3. P. Reynaert and M. S. J. Steyaert, "A 1.75-GHz polar modulated CMOS RF power amplifier for GSM-EDGE," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 40, no. 12, pp. 2598-2608, Dec. 2005. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2005.857425
  4. V. Pinon, F. Hasbani, A. Giry, D. Pache, and C. Garnier, "A single-chip WCDMA envelope reconstruction LDMOS PA with 130 MHz switched-mode power supply," in IEEE Int. Solid-State Circuits Conf. Tech. Dig., Feb. 2008, pp. 564-565.
  5. J. Kitchen, W. Chu, I. Deligoz, S. Kiaei, and B. Bakkaloglu, "Combined linear and ${\Delta}$-modulated switched-mode PA supply modulator for polar transmitters," in IEEE Int. Solid-State Circuits Conf. Tech. Dig., Feb. 2007, pp. 82-83.
  6. B. Sahu and G. A. Rincon-Mora, "A high-efficiency linear RF power amplifier with a power-tracking dynamically adaptive buck-boost supply," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 112-120, Jan. 2004. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2003.821256
  7. F. Wang, A. H. Yang, D. F. Kimball, L. E. Larson, and P. M. Asbeck, "Design of wide-bandwidth envelope-tracking power amplifiers for OFDM applications," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 1244-1255, Apr. 2005. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2005.845716
  8. T. Kwak, M. Lee, and G. Cho, "A 2 W CMOS hybrid switching amplitude modulator for EDGE polar transmitters," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 42, no. 12, pp. 2666-2676, Dec. 2007. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2007.908769
  9. B. J. Minnis, P. A. Moore, P. N. Whatmough, P. G. Blanken, and M. P. van der Heijden, "Systemefficiency analysis of power amplifier supplytracking regimes in mobile transmitters," IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. I, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 268-279, Jan. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1109/TCSI.2008.927013
  10. J. Choi, D. Kang, D. Kim, and K. Kim, "Optimized envelope tracking operation of Doherty power amplifier for high efficiency over an extended dynamic range," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 57, no. 6, pp. 1508-1515, Jun. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2009.2020674
  11. P. Y. Wu and P. K. T. Mok, "A two-phase switching hybrid supply modulator for RF power amplifiers with 9% efficiency improvement," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 45, no. 12, pp. 2543-2556, Dec. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2010.2076510
  12. Y. Li, J. Lopez, D. Y. C. Lie, K. Chen, S. Wu, T. Y. Yang, and G-K Ma, , "Circuits and System design of RF polar transmitters using envelope-tracking and SiGe power amplifiers for mobile WiMAX," IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. I, vol. 58, no. 5, pp. 893-901, May 2011. https://doi.org/10.1109/TCSI.2010.2089562
  13. F. Wang, D. F. Kimball, D. Y. Lie, P. M. Asbeck, and L. E. Larson, "A monolithic high-efficiency 2.4-GHz 20-dBm SiGe BiCMOS envelope tracking OFDM power amplifier," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 1271-1281, Jun. 2007. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2007.897170
  14. J. Choi, D. Kim, D. Kang, and B. Kim, "A polar transmitter with CMOS programmable hysteretic-controlled hybrid switching supply modulator for multistandard applications," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 57, no. 7, pp. 1675-1686, Jul. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2009.2021880
  15. D. Kim, D. Kang, J. Choi, J. Kim, Y. Cho, and B. Kim, "Optimization for envelope shaped operation of envelope tracking power amplifier," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 59, no. 7, pp. 1787-1795, Jul. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2011.2140124
  16. Y. Li, J. Lopez, P.-H. Wu, W. Hu, R. Wu, and D. Y. C. Lie, "A SiGe envelope-tracking power amplifier with an integrated CMOS envelope modulator for Mobile WiMAX/3GPP LTE transmitters," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 59, no. 10, pp. 2525-2536, Oct. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2011.2164550
  17. Y. Li, J. Lopez, C. Schecht, R. Wu, and D. Y. C. Lie, "Design of high efficiency monolithic power amplifier with envelope-tracking and transistor resizing for broadband wireless applications," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 47, no. 9, pp. 2007-2018, Sep. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2012.2201289
  18. D. Kim, D. Kang, J. Kim, Y. Cho, and B. Kim, "Highly efficient dual-switch hybrid switching supply modulator for envelope tracking power amplifier," IEEE Microw. Wireless Compon. Lett., vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 285-287, Jun. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1109/LMWC.2012.2197382
  19. J. Kim, D. Kim, Y. Cho, D. Kang, B. Park, B. Kim, "Envelope-tracking two-stage power amplifier with dual-mode supply modulator for LTE applications," Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol.61, no.1, pp.543, 552, Jan. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2012.2225532
  20. D. Kang, B. Park, J. C. Zhao. Kim, D. Kim, J. Kim, Y. Cho, S. Jin, H. Jin, and B. Kim, "A 34% PAE, 26-dBm output power envelope tracking CMOS power amplifier for 10-MHz BW LTE applications," in IEEE MTT-S Int. Microw. Symp. Dig., 2012, pp. 17-22.
  21. M. Hassan, L. E. Larson, V. W. Leung, and P. M. Asbeck, "A combined series-parallel hybrid envelope amplifier for envelope tracking mobile terminal RF power amplifier applications," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 1185-1198, May 2012. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2012.2184639
  22. M. Hassan, E. L. Larson, V. W. Leung, D. F. Kimball, and P. M. Asbeck, "A wideband CMOS/GaAs HBT envelope tracking power amplifier for 4G LTE mobile terminal applications," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., vol. 60, no. 5, pp. 1321-1330, May 2012. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2012.2187537
  23. G. Liu, P. Haldi, T.-J. K. Liu, and A. M. Niknejad, "Fully integrated CMOS power amplifier with efficiency enhancement at power back-off," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 600-609, Mar. 2008. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2007.916585
  24. I. Aoki, S. Kee, R. Magoon, R. Aparicio, F. Bohn, J. Zachan, G. Hatcher, D. McClymont, and A. Hajimiri, "A fully-integrated quad-band GSM/GPRS CMOS power amplifier," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 43, no. 12, pp. 2747-2758, Dec. 2008. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2008.2004870
  25. S. Back, C. Park, and S. Hong, "A fully integrated 5-GHz CMOS power amplifier for IEEE 802.11a WLAN applications," Journal of Semiconductor Tech. and Science, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 98-101, Jun. 2007. https://doi.org/10.5573/JSTS.2007.7.2.098
  26. B. Kim, J. Kim, D. Kim, J. Son, Y. Cho, J. Kim, and B. Park, "Push the envelope: design concepts for envelope-tracking power amplifiers," IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 68-81, Apr. 2013.

Cited by

  1. Dual Bias Modulator for Envelope Tracking and Average Power Tracking Modes for CMOS Power Amplifier vol.14, pp.6, 2014, https://doi.org/10.5573/JSTS.2014.14.6.802