Session 29 overview - RF techniques

New applications for silicon-based IC technologies are in the process of being defined in frequency bands well above 10GHz, including short-range automotive radar in the 24GHz ISM band, local-multipoint distribution systems (LMDS) at 28 to 30GHz (IEEE 802.16) for broadband WLAN, and multiple bands between 10 and 66GHz. In the first paper in this session (29.1), on-chip transformers are used extensively in the implementation of a 3-stage 21 to 26GHz power amplifier, implemented in 0.18µm SiGe BiCMOS. A maximum power-added efficiency (PAE) of 19% and output power of +23dBm are achieved − a very competitive result for circuits operating at these frequencies. Quadrature VCOs, used extensively in monolithic silicon transceivers, are described in Paper 29.5. The design presented extends the frequency range of such circuits beyond 30GHz, with very low quadrature phase error.