A 30 GHz 8-Bit Phased Array Transmitter for Satellite Communication in 22nm FDSOI

This work presents a fully integrated transmitter (TX) front-end for satellite communication in the Ka-band. The TX employs radio frequency (RF) phase shifting for beamforming. Phase shifting is achieved through a vector modulator, the vector modulator is followed by a variable output power switching driver stage to form an integrated TX front-end. The TX achieves a 360° phase shifting range with a resolution of 1.4° (8-bit) and a maximum saturated output power (Psat) of 21 dBm while achieving a system efficiency of 38.5%. A simple efficient power control technique is proposed, and several layout optimization techniques were used to achieve such high phase shifting resolution. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the highest reported resolutions at this frequency range. The transmitter operates from 27.5 GHz to 31.5 GHz and is implemented in 22nm FDSOI technology with 1. SV supply.