A Dual-Mode V-Band 2/4-Way Non-Uniform Power-Combining PA with +17.9-dBm Psat and 26.5-% PAE in 16-nm FinFET CMOS

This paper presents the design of a dual-mode V-band PA with efficiency enhancement at power back-off via load modulation. The design utilizes a reconfigurable 2/4-way non-uniform power combiner to enable two discrete modes of operation – full power and back-off power. The 2-stage PA achieves a peak gain of 21.4dB with a fractional BW of 22.6% (51-64GHz). At 65GHz, the PA has a Psat of +17.9dBm with an OP1dB of +13.5dBm and a peak PAE of 26.5% in full-power mode. In back-off power mode, the measured Psat, OP1dB, and peak PAE are +13.8dBm, +9.6dBm, and 18.4%, respectively. The PAE is enhanced by 6-% points at 4.5-dB back-off. The PA is capable of amplifying a 6-Gb/s 16-QAM modulated signal with an EVMrms of -20.7dB at an average Pout/PAE of +13dBm/13.6%, respectively. This PA is implemented in 16-nm FinFET, occupies a core area of 0.107mm², and operates under a 0.95-V supply.