LDMOS for RF Power Amplifiers

1. LDMOS for RF Power Amplifiers David Fernandez

2. Outline • Power Amplifier Critical Factors for Performance • LDMOS Device Technology • LDMOS Power Amplifier performance • Future trends and challenges for LDMOS • References

3. RF Power Amplifier

4. Power Amplifier Critical Factors • Linearity – Critical when signal contains both amplitude and phase modulation • Power Efficiency – Defined as Pout/Pdc • Break Down Voltage – Cellular Base Station application have supply voltages of near 30V. • High Frequency – parasitic capacitances should be minimal. • Gain • Cost • Integrated

5. LDMOS Device Technology • Channel formed by difference in lateral extension of P-base and N+ source regions • Both regions self-aligned to left-hand side during ion-implantation • P-sinker, highly doped, connects source to substrate creating source connected ground plane

6. LDMOS Device Technology • Shield between gate and drain to reduce feedback capacitance and combat threshold ‘drift’. • LDD region formed by light N-type dopant • Doping of the LDD region strongly correlated with breakdown voltage

7. RF LDMOS Power Amplifier • Better Linearity as a result of shielding • High electric field at gate edge in LD-Mosfet results in electron injection into gate oxide leading to vthreshold drift which deteriorates linearity. Shielding mitigates. • Reduction of feedback capacitance improves linearity

8. RF LDMOS Power Amplifier • Better Gain and Cost accomplished through directly grounding source. • With direct source grounding as compared to other power mosfets, no inductive bond-wires needed to connect source to package ground terminal. Source inductance deteriorates gain at high frequencies. • No complex and costly packaging needed to keep drain insulated from ground terminal – drain and ground terminal are on opposite sides of wafer.

9. RF LDMOS Power Amplifier • Lateral expansion – smaller channel length, resulting in higher frequency potential : • Higher Break down voltage (75 – 80 V) as a result of proper doping of LDD region:

10. RF LDMOS Power Amplifier • Power efficiency improved through lower output capacitance compared to other power mosfets. • Integrated – Gate and drain terminals are on the same side of wafer.

11. Challenges and future trends • Continued device innovations has led to 7th generation LDMOS Power Mosfets that provide improved RF performance and remain low-cost. • Thermal resistance as decreased and as a result the reliability of these devices is improved. • Linearity has improved through both circuit and device design approaches. • Currently compound semi-conductor devices (GaN) offer comparable if not improved efficiency and linearity, however cost and reliability issues make it difficult to displace LDMOS in the near future.

12. References • “Silicon RF Power Mosfets,” B Jayant Baliga • “RF Power Amplifiers for Wireless Communications,” Steve Cripps • “Challenges and Opportunities for Compound semiconductor devices in Next Generation Wireless Base Stations Power Amplifiers,” Lawrence Lawson IEEE 2005 • “Status and Trends of silicon LDMOS base station PA technologies to go beyond 2.5 GHz applications,” F. Van Rijs IEEE 2008 • “A LDMOS Technology Compatible with CMOS and Passive Components for Integrated for RF Power Amplifiers,” Jun Cai et.al, IEEE 2000