Multiphase Interpolating Digital Power Amplifiers for TX Beamforming

This paper presents a four-channel beamforming TX implemented in 65 nm CMOS. Each beamforming TX is comprised of a C-2C split-array multiphase switched-capacitor power amplifier (SAMP-SCPA). This is the first use of multiphase interpolation (MPI) for beam steering. This technique is ideal for low-frequency beamforming and MIMO, as it does not require passive or LO-based phase shifters. The SCPA is ideal for use as the core element since it can perform frequency translation and data conversion, and drive an output at high power and efficiency in a compact die area. A prototype four-element beamforming TX, occupying $2\mathrm{mm}\times 2.5\mathrm{mm}$, can achieve a peak output power of 24.4 dBm with a peak system efficiency (SE) of 24%, while achieving <1$\circ$ phase resolution and <1 dB gain error. When transmitting a 15 MHz, 64-QAM long-term evolution (LTE) signal it outputs 18.4 dBm at 14% SE with a measured adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) of <$-30$ dBc and an error vector magnitude (EVM) of $3.27\%$ RMS at 1.75 GHz. A synthesized beam pattern based on measured results from a single die achieves RMS beam angle error and <0.1 dB RMS beam amplitude error.