Power Amplifiers for High Efficiency Above 100 GHz

Prof. Jim Buckwalter
UC Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Abstract: This presentation reviews the requirements for future digital arrays in terms of power amplifier specifications for output power and efficiency and the device technologies that will realize future energy-efficient communication and sensing electronics for the upper millimeter-wave bands (100-300 GHz). Device technologies are reviewed to compare the needs for compound semiconductors and silicon processes. Power amplifier circuit design above 100 GHz is reviewed based on loadline and matching element losses. We present recently published class-A and class-B PAs based on a InP HBT process that have demonstrated record efficiency and power around 140 GHz while discussing circuit techniques that can be applied in a variety of integrated circuits.

Speaker’s Bio: James F. Buckwalter received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, in 2006. He is currently a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering with the University of California – Santa Barbara (UCSB). From 1999 to 2000, he was a Research Scientist with Telcordia Technologies. During Summer 2004, he was with the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY. In July 2006, he joined the faculty of the University of California – San Diego (UCSD) as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012. Dr. Buckwalter was the recipient of a 2004 IBM Ph.D. Fellowship, 2007 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award, 2011 NSF CAREER Award, and 2015 IEEE MTT-S Young Engineer Award.

This event is sponsored by Cadence.