Book Description
This thesis investigates multiharmonic tuning of RF power amplifiers using power MOSFETs implemented in bulk silicon CMOS technology. The use of this technique may lead to the low-cost implementation of the RF power amplifier integrated on the same chip as the rest of the wireless transceiver. The work proposes a complete classification of multiharmonic tuning into four basic modes: both odd/even harmonics SHORT (SS), odd harmonics SHORT and even harmonics OPEN (SO), odd harmonics OPEN and even harmonics SHORT (OS), and both odd/even harmonics OPEN (OO). Conventional power amplifiers can then be characterized using these modes of operation in so far as multiharmonic tuning is concerned. A systematic multiharmonic tuning optimization procedure is introduced to find the optimal harmonic terminations. The newly proposed OO mode features a sinusoidal drain current waveform containing no harmonics, resulting in little or no energy wasted at harmonic frequencies and yielding high efficiency. To study the multiharmonic tuning behavior of MOSFET RF power amplifiers, power MOSFETs were implemented in a 0.25[mu]m silicon CMOS process. For power amplifiers using these MOSFETs, at 1.88GHz, the OO mode yields the highest efficiency (PAE = 61%) with a 23.3dBm output power at a 12dBm input power and at a 2.0V supply voltage.
