A fully integrated 23.2 dBm P1 dB CMOS power amplifier for the IEEE 802.11a with 29% PAE

A two-stage fully integrated power amplifier (PA) for the 802.11a standard is presented. The PA has been fabricated using UMC 0.18 μm CMOS technology. Measurement results show a power gain of 21.1 dB, a P1 dB of 23.2 dBm and a PSAT of 26.8 dBm. The PAE is 29% and it is kept high by means of several integrated inductors. These inductors present low-DC resistance and high Q characteristics. The inductors must include extra design considerations in order to withstand the high-current levels flowing through them, so that they have been called power inductors.