{
    "componentChunkName": "component---src-templates-post-js",
    "path": "/projects/cmos-power-amplifier",
    "result": {"data":{"mdx":{"frontmatter":{"title":"A CMOS Power Amplifier for GSM (Simulation Study)","author":"Souleymane Dembele","date":"2025-06-15"},"body":"var _excluded = [\"components\"];\nfunction _extends() { return _extends = Object.assign ? Object.assign.bind() : function (n) { for (var e = 1; e < arguments.length; e++) { var t = arguments[e]; for (var r in t) ({}).hasOwnProperty.call(t, r) && (n[r] = t[r]); } return n; }, _extends.apply(null, arguments); }\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(e, t) { if (null == e) return {}; var o, r, i = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(e, t); if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var s = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(e); for (r = 0; r < s.length; r++) o = s[r], t.includes(o) || {}.propertyIsEnumerable.call(e, o) && (i[o] = e[o]); } return i; }\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(r, e) { if (null == r) return {}; var t = {}; for (var n in r) if ({}.hasOwnProperty.call(r, n)) { if (e.includes(n)) continue; t[n] = r[n]; } return t; }\n/* @jsxRuntime classic */\n/* @jsx mdx */\n\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"A CMOS Power Amplifier for GSM (Simulation Study)\",\n  \"slug\": \"projects/cmos-power-amplifier\",\n  \"author\": \"Souleymane Dembele\",\n  \"date\": \"2025-06-15\",\n  \"isDraft\": false\n};\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n    props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, _excluded);\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"For my wireless IC design course (TECE 523), I designed a GSM-band power\\namplifier in TSMC 0.18um RF CMOS and compared it in simulation against a\\ncommercial part, the Qorvo RF5110G GaAs HBT amplifier. The goal was to show that\\ncareful CMOS design can rival GaAs performance while keeping the cost and\\nintegration advantages of a standard CMOS process. All results below are from\\nCadence SpectreRF simulation with post-layout extraction; this design was not\\ntaped out or silicon-measured.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Approach\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"I used a two-stage cascaded Class-AB topology: a Class-A/AB driver for linearity\\nfollowed by a Class-AB output stage for efficiency, sized for 33 dB of gain.\\nPower stage devices are a 64x30um finger array for thermal spreading; the driver\\nis a 16x30um array. The design work was done in Cadence Virtuoso with SpectreRF,\\nusing PSS for large-signal behavior, PAC for small-signal gain, and load-pull and\\nsource-pull sweeps to find the optimal impedances. Matching networks transform\\n50 ohm down to the roughly 1-2 ohm optimal load with multi-section L-C networks,\\noptimized for inductor Q.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Results vs the target (SpectreRF simulation)\"), mdx(\"table\", null, mdx(\"thead\", {\n    parentName: \"table\"\n  }, mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"thead\"\n  }, mdx(\"th\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"Parameter\"), mdx(\"th\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"Qorvo RF5110G\"), mdx(\"th\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"This design (simulated)\"))), mdx(\"tbody\", {\n    parentName: \"table\"\n  }, mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"Output power (PSAT)\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"+35 dBm\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"+38.0 dBm\")), mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"Power-added efficiency\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"55%\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"64.2%\")), mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"Power gain\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"32 dB\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"33.2 dB\")), mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"Transition frequency (Ft)\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"15 GHz\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"26 GHz\")), mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"P1dB\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"n/a\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"+34 dBm\")), mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"Technology\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"GaAs HBT\"), mdx(\"td\", {\n    parentName: \"tr\",\n    \"align\": null\n  }, \"0.18um RF CMOS\")))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The design is unconditionally stable (K-factor 1.35), meets the GSM900 spectral\\nmask with second and third harmonics below -40 dBc, and a die-cost analysis\\nprojects a 57% manufacturing-cost reduction versus the GaAs part.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"What I took from it\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"This was full custom analog/RF design at the transistor and layout level:\\ndevice sizing for high Ft, load-pull-driven matching, stability and ESD\\nconsiderations, and a CAD flow from schematic through SpectreRF to a\\nDRC/LVS-clean layout with post-extraction verification.\"), mdx(\"a\", {\n    href: \"/docs/cmos-power-amplifier-design-project.pdf\",\n    target: \"_blank\",\n    rel: \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"View the full design report (PDF)\"), \" \\xA0\\xB7\\xA0 \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    href: \"/docs/cmos-power-amplifier-presentation.pdf\",\n    target: \"_blank\",\n    rel: \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"View the design presentation (PDF)\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;"}},"pageContext":{"slug":"projects/cmos-power-amplifier"}},
    "staticQueryHashes": ["3649515864","68838506"]}