Reliability evaluation and redesign methodology for RFCMOS transceiver frontend circuits in sub-6-GHz band of fifth-generation new radio communication based on the reliability model

A proposed RFCMOS reliability subcircuit model to evaluate the transceiver frontend circuits for 5G new radio (NR) networks sub-6-GHz application is presented. When studied 1-year operational performance considering hot-carrier stress in circuit level, the common-source LNA circuit is robust in gain and noise figure than common-gate common-source LNA circuit, and Class-A power amplifier loses gain 52%. However, in transceiver system level, the receiver-used two-stage common-gate common-source LNA shows robust than used common-source LNA. The transmitter's gain and output power exhibit a strong relationship with performance of Class-A power amplifier after hot-carrier stress. When the receiver using the overdriven bias 3.1 V 1 year predicted by proposed model, the EIS is −89.7 dBm, which still meet 5G FR1 standard though the gain degraded to 17 dB; transmitter overdriven at bias 3.3 V, the least output power is 19.1 dBm, which still meet 5G FR1 standard, though the IIP3 worsen to 13%.