A 20 dBm fully-integrated 60 GHz SiGe power amplifier with automatic level control

A +20 dBm power amplifier (PA) for applications in the 60 GHz industrial scientific medical (ISM) band is presented. The PA is fabricated in a 0.13-mu m SiGe BiCMOS process technology and features a fully-integrated on-chip RMS power detector for automatic level control (ALC), build-in self test and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) protection. The single-stage push-pull amplifier uses center-tapped microstrips for a highly efficient and compact layout with a core area of 0.075 mm(2). The PA can deliver up to 20 dBm, which to date, is the highest reported output power at mm-wave frequencies in silicon without the need for power combining. At 60 GHz it achieves a peak power gain of 18 dB, a 1-dB compression (P1dB) of 13.1 dBm, and a peak power-added efficiency (PAE) of 12.7%. The amplifier is programmable through a three-wire serial digital interface enabeling an adaptive bias control from a 4-V supply.