Implementation of a Cost-Effective 28-GHz Class-ABPower Amplifier in 180-nm Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor (CMOS) Technology for Next-Generation 5G Industrial Internet of Things Applications

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) deployments demand cost-effective millimeter wave solutions that balance performance with economic viability. Despite advancements in high-frequency circuit design, a critical gap remains in the literature regarding quantitative cost-benefit frameworks and system-level validation for large-scale IIoT deployments, where unit economics often outperform peak RF performance. This study presents a two-stage Class-AB power amplifier operating at 28 GHz, implemented in the mature 180 nm CMOS technology. The design addresses the critical gap between high-performance advanced-node solutions and stringent cost constraints of large-scale industrial wireless sensor networks, a gap inadequately addressed in the prior literature, which has focused predominantly on performance optimization rather than cost-performance trade-offs for IIoT deployment. We employed T-type impedance matching networks combined with reverse body biasing to achieve competitive linearity while maintaining fabrication economy. An extensive, multi-tier Advanced Design System (ADS) simulation—including small-signal, large-signal harmonic balance, and system-level 5G NR waveform analysis—demonstrates a saturated output power of 13.43 dBm, peak power-added efficiency of 19.35%, and 3-dB bandwidth spanning 4 GHz. The amplifier maintains unconditional stability (K > 1.3,  > 1.2) and satisfies the 5G New Radio (NR) specifications with an error vector magnitude (EVM) below 8% and an adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) better than -25 dBc. Through comprehensive cost-benefit analysis and benchmarking against eight state-of-the-art designs, we demonstrate that 180-nm CMOS offers a viable cost-optimized path for IIoT applications where 60% die-cost reduction justifies moderate performance trade-offs, achieving a normalized Figure of Merit (FoM) of 0.19 that outperforms prior mature-node implementations.

5G millimeter-wave; Class-AB power amplifier; CMOS technology; Cost-effective design; Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

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