Input Signal Distribution Using Coupled λ/2 Standing-wave Oscillators for Coherent Power Combining
One of the key challenges to realize a fully integrated transceiver using silicon based processes is the limited output power achievable,especially at millimeter-wave frequencies.Higher output power can be obtained by using various power combining schemes,which typically sum the output power of N identical amplifying stages coherently.Thus to ensure efficient power combining,the input signal must be distributed to all the amplifying stages on the chip with equi-phase and equi-magnitude.While Wilkinson power splitter has been employed for this purpose in the literatures,it becomes bulky and inefficient when N is large,which severely limits the number of outputs that can be combined.In this paper,a network of coupled λ/2 standing-wave oscillators is employed to distribute the input signal.Proposed formerly for global clock distribution,theoretically,differential signals of equi-frequency,equi-phase,and equi-magnitude can be obtained by taping onto specific points in the network.It should be noted,however,that the network is especially suited for input signal distribution purpose here,since the specific power combining scheme assumes that a grid of N amplifying stages resides on the chip,which matches to the tap points in a perfect way.A 30 GHz prototype network comprised of four coupled λ/2 standing-wave oscillators using TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS process has been design.Post-layout simulation results are presented showing that no distinguishable difference in frequency,phase,and amplitude is observed for the multiple output differential signals.The chip has a total area(including pads)of 800 × 990 μm2 and has been submitted for fabrication.
Yingqian Huang Xi Zi Jinfang Zhou Kangsheng Chen
Department of Information Science & Electronic Engineering,Zhejiang University,Hangzhou,China
国际会议
Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium 2011(2011年电磁学研究新进展学术研讨会)
苏州
英文
524-527
2011-09-01（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）