[an error occurred while processing this directive]

ZTE Communications ›› 2011, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (3): 28-35.

• • 上一篇    下一篇

Design Technologies for Silicon-Based High-Efficiency RF Power Amplifiers: A Brief Overview

Ruili Wu, Jerry Lopez, Yan Li and Donald Y.C. Lie   

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79401, the U. S.
  • 出版日期:2011-09-25 发布日期:2011-09-25
  • 作者简介:Ruili Wu (ruili.wu@ttu.edu) received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University, in 2010. He is currently working towards his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering at Texas Tech University. His current research is focused on the design of integrated PA circuits and systems for highly efficient, linear wideband polar transmitters in LTE-like wireless applications.

    Jerry Lopez (jerry.lopez@ttu.edu.) received his B.S. and M.E. degrees at the University of California, San Diego, in 2001 and 2005. He is on track to receive his Ph.D. degree at Texas Tech University in August 2011. Mr. Lopez has worked for Northrop Grumman Corp. researching and developing the design of highly efficient PAs and polar modulators, including custom RFIC design. He has also worked for the US Navy, where he was a member of the RFIC design group. His research interests include design of analog/RF integrated circuits, such as highly integrated highly efficient CMOS PA/transmitter, and circuits and systems that are highly nonlinear.

    Yan Li (yan.li@ttu.edu.) received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Southwest Jiao-Tong University, China, in 2007. He received his M.S. degree in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University in 2009. He is currently working towards his Ph.D. degree at TTU. His current research is focused on the design of highly-efficient and linear wideband polar transmitters with integrated PAs for mobile WiMAX/LTE wireless applications.

    Donald Y.C. Lie (donald.lie@ttu.edu.) received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, in 1990 and 1995. He has held technical and managerial positions at Rockwell International, IBM, and Microtune Inc. He is currently the Keh-Shew Lu Regents Chair Associate Professor (tenured) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University. He is also an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC). He has authored and coauthored approximately 120 peer-reviewed technical papers and book chapters and holds five U.S. patents. He and his students have won several Best Graduate Student Paper Awards in international conferences in 1994, 1995, 2006, 2008 (twice), 2010 (twice) and in 2011. His students have also won prestigious scholarships. Dr. Lie is the associate editor of IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters (MWCL) and was a guest editor of IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits (JSSC) in 2009. His research interests include low-power RF/Analog integrated circuits and System-on-a-Chip (SoC) design and testing, and interdisciplinary research on medical electronics, biosensors, and bio-signal processing.

Design Technologies for Silicon-Based High-Efficiency RF Power Amplifiers: A Brief Overview

Ruili Wu, Jerry Lopez, Yan Li and Donald Y.C. Lie   

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79401, the U. S.
  • Online:2011-09-25 Published:2011-09-25
  • About author:Ruili Wu (ruili.wu@ttu.edu) received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University, in 2010. He is currently working towards his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering at Texas Tech University. His current research is focused on the design of integrated PA circuits and systems for highly efficient, linear wideband polar transmitters in LTE-like wireless applications.

    Jerry Lopez (jerry.lopez@ttu.edu.) received his B.S. and M.E. degrees at the University of California, San Diego, in 2001 and 2005. He is on track to receive his Ph.D. degree at Texas Tech University in August 2011. Mr. Lopez has worked for Northrop Grumman Corp. researching and developing the design of highly efficient PAs and polar modulators, including custom RFIC design. He has also worked for the US Navy, where he was a member of the RFIC design group. His research interests include design of analog/RF integrated circuits, such as highly integrated highly efficient CMOS PA/transmitter, and circuits and systems that are highly nonlinear.

    Yan Li (yan.li@ttu.edu.) received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Southwest Jiao-Tong University, China, in 2007. He received his M.S. degree in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University in 2009. He is currently working towards his Ph.D. degree at TTU. His current research is focused on the design of highly-efficient and linear wideband polar transmitters with integrated PAs for mobile WiMAX/LTE wireless applications.

    Donald Y.C. Lie (donald.lie@ttu.edu.) received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, in 1990 and 1995. He has held technical and managerial positions at Rockwell International, IBM, and Microtune Inc. He is currently the Keh-Shew Lu Regents Chair Associate Professor (tenured) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University. He is also an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC). He has authored and coauthored approximately 120 peer-reviewed technical papers and book chapters and holds five U.S. patents. He and his students have won several Best Graduate Student Paper Awards in international conferences in 1994, 1995, 2006, 2008 (twice), 2010 (twice) and in 2011. His students have also won prestigious scholarships. Dr. Lie is the associate editor of IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters (MWCL) and was a guest editor of IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits (JSSC) in 2009. His research interests include low-power RF/Analog integrated circuits and System-on-a-Chip (SoC) design and testing, and interdisciplinary research on medical electronics, biosensors, and bio-signal processing.

PDF

摘要： This paper presents a brief overview of several promising design technologies for high efficiency silicon-based radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers (PAs) as well as the use of these technologies in mobile broadband wireless communications. Four important aspects of PA design are addressed in this paper. First, we look at class-E PA design equations and provide an example of a class-E PA that achieves efficiency of 65-70% at 2.4 GHz. Then, we discuss state-of-the-art envelope tracking (ET) design for monolithic wideband RF mobile transmitter applications. A brief overview of Doherty PA design for the next-generation wireless handset applications is then given. Towards the end of the paper, we discuss an inherently broadband and highly efficient class-J PA design targeting future multi-band multi-standard wireless communication protocols.

关键词: radio frequency power amplifier, silicon-based power amplifier, envelope tracking, class-E amplifier, broadband PA, class-J, Doherty power amplifier

Abstract: This paper presents a brief overview of several promising design technologies for high efficiency silicon-based radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers (PAs) as well as the use of these technologies in mobile broadband wireless communications. Four important aspects of PA design are addressed in this paper. First, we look at class-E PA design equations and provide an example of a class-E PA that achieves efficiency of 65-70% at 2.4 GHz. Then, we discuss state-of-the-art envelope tracking (ET) design for monolithic wideband RF mobile transmitter applications. A brief overview of Doherty PA design for the next-generation wireless handset applications is then given. Towards the end of the paper, we discuss an inherently broadband and highly efficient class-J PA design targeting future multi-band multi-standard wireless communication protocols.

Key words: radio frequency power amplifier, silicon-based power amplifier, envelope tracking, class-E amplifier, broadband PA, class-J, Doherty power amplifier