Enhanced 3D stacked W-band RF front-end: achieving 6.8W output power with a highly integrated 4-channel power combining amplifier

With the increasing application of terahertz technology in modern military, communications, and automotive radar systems, the need for miniaturized and highly integrated terahertz transceiver designs has become more critical.The ability of terahertz solid-state power combining technology to achieve high power and miniaturization is crucial for system performance. This paper investigates circuit design methods for miniaturized, high-power terahertz transmission front ends and explores packaging integration for advanced monolithic power chips. A three-dimensional stacked integration scheme is employed, comprising a W-band four-channel combining amplifier, a W-band mixing transmission front-end module, and a W-band medium-power drive module. The core modules are integrated into a compact assembly (≤4 cm ^3 ), serving as the key radio frequency (RF) component for a miniaturized W-band solid-state transmitting system. The W-band power synthesis layer achieves a saturated output power exceeding 6.8W and a power density greater than 283 mW cm ^−13 , enabling a complete transmission front-end with the W-band antenna. This design meets the requirements for a miniaturized, high-power terahertz transmission front end, offering potential applications for future high-integration, high-power systems.