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An Integrated Linearization Technique for GaAs Bipolar WCDMA Power Amplifier


Affiliations
1 Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Centre, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
2 Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
 

Here we report a novel linearization and efficiency improvement technique for heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT)-based Wireless Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) power amplifier. A process solution is proposed where a tantalum nitride (TaN) layer is strapped to the HBT base metal layer that resolves the current hogging issue. This is known as the strap ballasting technique. The resistance introduced by TaN improves the linear output power without trading-off its power added efficiency. At supply voltage of 4 V, the strap ballasting methodology improves the adjacent channel leakage ratio by 4.5 dB compared to the conventional base ballasting technique at output power of 28 dBm. The corresponding improvement in power added efficiency is 4%. The maximum output power delivered by power amplifier is 36 dBm. The proposed technique can be employed in the WCDMA power amplifier to minimize the fundamental trade-off issue between linear output power and efficiency.

Keywords

Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor, Linearization, Power Amplifier, Strap Ballasting Technique.
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  • An Integrated Linearization Technique for GaAs Bipolar WCDMA Power Amplifier

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Authors

Jagadheswaran Rajendran
Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Centre, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Sofiyah Sal Hamid
Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Centre, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Shukri Korakkottil Kunhi Mohd
Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Centre, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Mohd Zaid Abdullah
Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Centre, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Harikrishnan Ramiah
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Narendra Kumar
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract


Here we report a novel linearization and efficiency improvement technique for heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT)-based Wireless Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) power amplifier. A process solution is proposed where a tantalum nitride (TaN) layer is strapped to the HBT base metal layer that resolves the current hogging issue. This is known as the strap ballasting technique. The resistance introduced by TaN improves the linear output power without trading-off its power added efficiency. At supply voltage of 4 V, the strap ballasting methodology improves the adjacent channel leakage ratio by 4.5 dB compared to the conventional base ballasting technique at output power of 28 dBm. The corresponding improvement in power added efficiency is 4%. The maximum output power delivered by power amplifier is 36 dBm. The proposed technique can be employed in the WCDMA power amplifier to minimize the fundamental trade-off issue between linear output power and efficiency.

Keywords


Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor, Linearization, Power Amplifier, Strap Ballasting Technique.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi02%2F308-313