Linearity improvement analysis for PAs at mm-wave frequencies

Abstract

This article presents an adaptive predistortion (APD) linearization technique to improve the linearity of millimeter-wave power amplifiers (PAs), specifically at 60 GHz. The PA and the APD were designed using the 0.13 mm SiGe BiCMOS process. The predistortion is applied to the PA by varying the gain of the PA through its variable gain amplifier. The PA achieves a PSAT of 11.97 dBm and IP1 dB of 210 dBm. After linearization the PA has an improved IP1 dB of 26 dBm. This linearization technique results in an optimum intermodulation distortion 3rd reduction of 10 dB.