17-GHz 50-60 mW power amplifiers in 0.13-μm standard CMOS

Two versions of power amplifiers with different output matching approaches for the 17-GHz band were realized in 0.13-mum standard digital CMOS technology with 1.5-V supply voltage. The power amplifier with an external matching network delivers 17.8-dBm saturated output power with 15.6% power added efficiency (PAE). The small-signal gain is 11.5 dB. The fully integrated power amplifier delivers 17.1-dBm saturated output power with 9.3% PAE. The small-signal gain is 14.5 dB. No external radio frequency components are required