An 80 GHz Power Amplifier with 17.4 dBm Output Power and 18 % PAE in 22 nm FD-SOI CMOS for Binary-Phase Modulated Radars

This work presents a power amplifier operating from 75 GHz to 85 GHz and integrated with a binary phase modulator in a 22 nm FD-SOI technology. The circuit can serve directly as a transmitter in a 76 GHz to 81 GHz binary phase modulation multiple-input-multiple-output frequency-modulated continuous-wave (BPM-MIMO-FMCW) radar system. Measurements of the fabricated prototypes show a peak gain of 21.7 dB and a binary phase control of 180° ± 2 ° from 60 GHz to 100 GHz. From 75 GHz to 85 GHz the maximum output power is 17.4 dBm in saturation and 14.6 dBm at 1dB-compression-point with a peak power added efficiency (PAE) of 18 %. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first prototype of such a transmitter for 76 GHz to 81 GHz BPM-MIMO-FMCW radars in a 22 nm technology. It offers the best combination of power gain, output power, PAE and bandwidth compared to the state of the art for CMOS power amplifiers around 80 GHz and implemented in deeply-scaled technologies with gate length below 40 nm.