Design of highly-efficient wideband RF polar transmitters using the Envelope-Tracking technique

Abstract

This paper discusses the design issues of highly efficient and monolithic wideband RF polar transmitters, especially the ones that use the EnvelopeTracking (ET) technique. Besides reviewing the stateof-the-art polar transmitters in the literature, three focus topics will be discussed: (1) the system-on-achip (SoC) design considerations of the monolithic polar transmitter using ET; and (2) the design of highly-efficient envelope amplifier capable of achieving the high efficiency, current, bandwidth, accuracy and noise specifications required for wideband signals; and (3) the design of highefficiency monolithic Si-based power amplifiers (PAs) suitable for ET-based RF polar transmitters.