Advanced Bits-In RF-Out Transmitters

The demand for faster mobile access and higher data throughput drives the evolution of wireless cellular communication, requiring larger modulation bandwidths and higher-order modulations and necessitating more efficient and flexible transmitter systems.<br/>Simultaneously, the advancements in nano-scale CMOS technologies have made transistors...

Miniaturized CMOS Circuits and Measurement Techniques for Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy

Abundant research reported in the literature has indicated that broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), i.e., the measurement of material permittivity versus frequency, can serve a broad range of applications, including, but not limited to, biomedical, food, automotive, and agricultural industries. Adopting this technique in real-life...

Digital-Intensive Up-Converters for Wireless Communication

This thesis focuses on digital-intensive up-converters for sub-6GHz wireless communication. Nowadays, wireless cellular communication is entering its 5th generation (5G), driven by the demand for faster mobile access and higher data throughput. 5G utilizes larger modulation bandwidths, higher-order modulations, and (many) more transmitters and...

Energy Efficient and Intrinsically Linear Digital Polar Transmitters

One of the biggest challenges in modern transmitter (TX) design, when going from the fourth generation (4G) to fifth generation (5G) communications network, is to handle the increased linearity requirements without introducing any compromise in the energy efficiency of the TX line-up. In analog systems, high quality for the TX signal can be only...

Advanced calibration and measurement techniques for (sub)millimeter wave devices characterization

As the number of wireless applications increases every year, overcrowding the RF/microwave spectrum, research community and industry are gradually starting to dedicate more attention to the less exploited (sub)millimeter wave spectrum, spanning from 30 GHz to 1 THz. While the high frequency and large available bandwidth of the latter promises...

Non-intrusive Near-field Characterization of Microwave Circuits and Devices

Energy Efficient and Compact RF High-Power Amplifiers

The main objectives of this thesis are to improve the energy efficiency and physical form-factor of high-power amplifiers in base station applications. As such, the focus of this dissertation is placed on the outphasing amplifier concept, which can offer high-efficiency, good linearity and excellent opportunities for system integration. With...

Mixed-signal instrumentation for large-signal device characterization and modelling

This thesis concentrates on the development of advanced large-signal measurement and characterization tools to support technology development, model extraction and validation, and power amplifier (PA) designs that address the newly introduced third and fourth generation (3G and 4G) wideband communication standards. By exploiting an innovative...

High Efficiency RF Power Amplifier Architectures

Device Realization, Characterization and Modeling for Linear RF Applications

This thesis work addresses semiconductor device technology, characterization and modeling solutions that support the development of future generations of mobile phones, which are able to handle various wireless services in flexible manner. Today’s plurality of high data-rate communication signals requires high linearity and efficiency of the...

Highly Efficient and Highly Linear RF Power Amplifiers

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Smoothie: A model for linearity optimization of FET devices in RF applications

RF Amplifier Design Techniques for Linearity and Dynamic Range

This thesis presents circuit- and device-level linearization techniques to reduce the intermodulation distortion as well as the DC power consumption in RF amplifier circuits. As a key method to accomplish the research goals presented in Chapter 1, a so-called orthogonal design approach is introduced that allows for an uncompromised optimization...