High Current Integrated Circuit-Based Transformer

An electronic circuit, comprising:

• a first power amplifier comprising first and second output drain terminals;
• a second power amplifier comprising first and second input gate terminals;
• and
• an integrated circuit transformer connected between the first and second power amplifiers, the integrated circuit transformer comprising:
• a primary gate winding located in at least a first relatively thick upper metal interconnect layer, the primary gate winding having a gate center point at a first side of the integrated circuit transformer and two primary terminals at a second, opposite side of the integrated circuit transformer which are connected to the first and second input gate terminals of the second power amplifier,
• a secondary drain winding located in at least the first relatively thick upper metal interconnect layer, the secondary drain winding having a drain center point at the second, opposite side of the integrated circuit transformer and two secondary terminals at the first side of the integrated circuit transformer which are connected to the first and second output drain terminals of the first power amplifier, and
• a first center tap feed line located along a symmetry axis of the integrated circuit transformer in a second, relatively thick upper metal interconnect layer that is at least as thick as the first relatively thick upper metal interconnect layer, wherein the first center tap feed line is directly electrically connected to the drain center point of the secondary drain winding.

A transformer, comprising:

• at least one primary turn formed in an upper metal interconnect layer having a first local power supply line thickness and symmetrically disposed along a symmetry axis of the transformer;
• at least one secondary turn formed in the upper metal interconnect layer and symmetrically disposed along the symmetry axis of the transformer;
• and
• a first center tap feed line located along the symmetry axis of the transformer in an upper metal interconnect layer that is at least as thick as the first local power supply line thickness, wherein the first center tap feed line is directly electrically connected to a drain center point of the at least one secondary turn.