一种CMOS超宽带LNA的优化设计方法

 为实现性能更优的超宽带(UWB)射频前端低噪声放大器(LNA),本文提出了一种通用的基于CMOS工艺的超宽带LNA优化设计方法.基于源端电感负反馈的LNA电路模型,本文提出利用最优化的数学方法分别确定晶体管尺寸、输入匹配网络和负载网络各元件参数的方法,实现了较好的输入阻抗匹配,达到了较高的增益、较好的增益平坦度以及优秀的噪声系数,并具有较低的功耗;本设计方法所用无源元件不但适宜CMOS集成,而且对工艺偏差具有一定的忍耐力.仿真结果说明用上述方法设计的超宽带LNA在工作频带内能够达到预期的各项性能要求.     

Novel analysis and optimization of gm-boosted common-gate UWB LNA

This paper focuses on the design optimization of g_m-boosted common gate (CG) CMOS low-noise amplifier (LNA) for ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology. In this regard, a detailed novel analysis of the UWB g_m-boosted CG amplifier topology is presented, which includes the finite g_ds (=1/r_eds) effects. For UWB systems, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be defined as the matched filter bound (MFB). Using this definition, the noise performance of the UWB CG LNA in the presence of the g_m-boosting gain and the input noise-matching network are analyzed. It is found that the optimal noise factor of the UWB LNA collapses to the published narrowband g_m-boosted CG LNA noise factor when an assumption of narrowband is applied. It is also proved that the noise performance of the g_m-boosted UWB CG LNA is independent of the bandwidth of the input UWB signal. A new technique is presented for the design of optimal noise-matching network using passive components at the input of the UWB CG LNA. In this regard, role of the g_m-boosting stage and its effect on the SNR and the gain of the overall system are analyzed, and, in addition, its non-idealities are simulated in detail.     

Ultra-low power LNA design technique for UWB applications

In this paper, a design technique to improve low noise amplifier (LNA) performance is proposed. This technique is based on a new operating parameter (OP) of MOSFETs for radio frequency (RF) applications. This technique is used to optimize low noise amplifier (LNA) parameters for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) applications. The presented methodology predicts the optimum biasing point to maximize LNA performance. Simulation results show that the proposed methodology can increase the figure of merit (FoM) by 70% compared to traditional methodologies, without having a significant effect on either noise figure (NF) or linearity characteristics.     

Design of a fully differential CMOS LNA for 3.1-10.6 GHz UWB communication systems

A fully differential complementary metal oxide semiconductor （CMOS） low noise amplifier （LNA） for 3.1-10.6 GHz ultra-wideband （UWB） communication systems is presented. The LNA adopts capacitive cross-coupling common-gate （CG） topology to achieve wideband input matching and low noise figure （NF）. Inductive series-peaking is used for the LNA to obtain broadband flat gain in the whole 3.1-10.6 GHz band. Designed in 0.18 um CMOS technology, the LNA achieves an NF of 3.1-4.7 dB, an Sll of less than -10 dB, an S21 of 10.3 dB with ±0.4 dB fluctuation, and an input 3rd interception point （IIP3） of -5.1 dBm, while the current consumption is only 4.8 mA from a 1.8 V power supply. The chip area of the LNA is 1×0.94 mm^2.     

An ultra-wideband CMOS low noise amplifier for 3-5-GHz UWB system

An ultra-wideband (UWB) CMOS low noise amplifier (LNA) topology that combines a narrowband LNA with a resistive shunt-feedback is proposed. The resistive shunt-feedback provides wideband input matching with small noise figure (NF) degradation by reducing the Q-factor of the narrowband LNA input and flattens the passband gain. The proposed UWB amplifier is implemented in 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS technology for a 3.1-5-GHz UWB system. Measurements show a -3-dB gain bandwidth of 2-4.6GHz, a minimum NF of 2.3 dB, a power gain of 9.8 dB, better than -9 dB of input matching, and an input IP3 of -7dBm, while consuming only 12.6 mW of power.     

Design of the Input Matching Network of RF CMOS LNAs for Low-Power Operation

Optimum design of input matching network of CMOS low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) for low-power applications is discussed in this paper. This is done through an investigation of the effect of four different matching methodologies on the gain of radio frequency CMOS LNAs by means of compact analytical expressions. It is demonstrated that methods that convert the MOSFET's input impedance to 50 Omega for power matching are more suitable for low-power applications than methods that create a real 50-Omega resistance at the input of the LNA, such as source inductive degeneration. As it is analytically shown, this is because the former methods enhance the gain of the LNA by a factor that is inversely proportional to MOSFET's input resistance. The impact of each matching methodology on the noise figure (NF) of the LNA is also discussed in detail and design guidelines for optimum gain-NF performance are developed using analytical models of MOSFET's noise parameters. It is demonstrated that all four methods could achieve very good NF values, provided that the size of active and passive components are chosen carefully based on the given guidelines. Measured results of two monolithic 5.7-GHz LNAs, designed and fabricated in a 0.18-mum CMOS technology, are also presented. The input matching networks of these LNAs are optimized for low-power operation based on the theory presented in this paper. It is experimentally shown that this optimization results in approximately 60% reduction in the dc power consumption and up to 300% improvement in the overall performance of the LNA when compared with some of the most recently published LNAs     

兼顾群延时与宽带匹配的SiGe HBT LNA设计

选用SiGe HBT作为电路的有源器件,利用基极串联电感LB与反馈支路、晶体管Miller效应所产生的寄生电容形成的T型匹配网络取得了输入阻抗的良好匹配,并就基极串联电感值对系统群延时的影响进行了讨论,优化LB以满足兼容群延时与宽带匹配的要求.该放大器在3.1～10.6 GHz的带宽内增益达到12.7 dB,增益变化小于等于1.8 dB,噪声小于3.85 dB,群延时小于24 ps,静态功耗仅为6.3 mW.     

A modified architecture used for input matching in CMOS low-noise amplifiers

An architecture used for input matching in CMOS low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) is investigated in this paper. In the proposed architecture, gate and source inductors, which are essential in the traditional source inductive degeneration CMOS LNAs, are either reduced or removed. The architecture is finally verified by a narrow-band LNA and a wide-band LNA operating at 2.4-2.5 and 5.1-5.9 GHz, respectively. The narrow-band LNA has measured power gain of 24-dB, noise figure (NF) of 2.6-2.8 dB, and power consumption of 15 mW. The wide-band LNA provides 22.6-24.6-dB power gain and 2.85-3.5-dB NF while drawing 6 mA current from a 1.5-V voltage supply. Compared with their traditional counterparts, the proposed LNAs consume less chip area and present better gain performance.     

A 4-mW monolithic CMOS LNA at 5.7GHz with the gate resistance used for input matching

Design and measured results of a fully integrated 5.7-GHz CMOS low-noise amplifier (LNA) is presented. To design this LNA, the parasitic input resistance of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) is converted to 50/spl Omega/ by a simple L-C network, hence eliminating the need for source degeneration. It is shown, by means of compact expressions, that this matching method enhances the effective transconductance of the LNA by a factor that is inversely proportional to a MOSFET's input resistance. The effect of our proposed method on the noise figure (NF) of the LNA is also discussed. With an 11.45-dB power gain and a 3.4-dB NF at 4mW of dc power, the presented LNA achieves the best overall performance when compared with the most recently published LNAs.     

A novel CMOS low-noise amplifier design for 3.1- to 10.6-GHz ultra-wide-band wireless receivers

An ultra-wideband (UWB) 3.1- to 10.6-GHz low-noise amplifier (LNA) employing a common-gate stage for wideband input matching is presented in this paper. Designed in a commercial 0.18-/spl mu/m 1.8-V standard RFCMOS technology, the proposed UWB LNA achieves fully on-chip circuit implementation, contributing to the realization of a single-chip CMOS UWB receiver. The proposed UWB LNA achieves 16.7/spl plusmn/0.8 dB power gain with a good input match (S11<-9 dB) over the 7500-MHz bandwidth (from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz), and an average noise figure of 4.0 dB, while drawing 18.4-mA dc biasing current from the 1.8-V power supply. A gain control mechanism is also introduced for the first time in the proposed design by varying the biasing current of the gain stage without influencing the other figures of merit of the circuit so as to accommodate the UWB LNA in various UWB wireless transmission systems with different link budgets.     

An ultra-wide-band 3.1-10.6 GHz LNA design in 0.18 μm SiGe BiCMOS

A two-stage monolithic ultra-wide-band (UWB) low-noise-amplifier (LNA) designed for MB-OFDM in 0.18 μm SiGe BiCMOS process is presented. With an optimized configuration combining advantages of RES-feedback and LC-ladder matching structure, the adjustable wide input matching is got and noise figure (NF) is controlled to a relevant low status. The measured S21 is from 7.6 to 14.2 dB over the 3-11 GHz operating band, NF is from 3.2 dB to 4.8 dB. With a 2.5 V power supply, the LNA has an overall power consumption of 14.5 mW.     

Design techniques for reducing the impact of component variations on narrow-band low noise amplifiers

Given the increasing demand for integrated wireless systems in system-on-chip technology, narrow-band low noise amplifier (LNA) designs must be robust against variations in device parameters and passive component values to improve manufacturing yield for high volume applications. In this paper, we develop two design techniques for reducing the impact of component variations on narrow-band LNA performance. The results demonstrate that by increasing the bandwidth of the narrow-band LNA and applying more conservative design constraints, we can mitigate the reliability implications of process variations on impedance matching, gain, and power consumption.     

宽带CMOS低噪声放大器的设计

文章主要介绍应用于集群接收机系统的350MHz～470MHz低噪声放大器,采用0.6μm CMOS工艺。探讨了优化低噪声放大器的噪声系数、增益与线性度的设计方法,同时对宽带输入输出匹配进行了分析。这种宽带低噪声放大器的工作带宽350MHz～470MHz,噪声系数小于3dB,增益为24dB,增益平坦度为±1dB,输入1dB压缩点大于-15dBm。     

High-Voltage-Gain CMOS LNA For 6–8.5-GHz UWB Receivers

The design of a fully integrated CMOS low noise amplifiers (LNA) for ultra-wide-band (UWB) integrated receivers is presented. An original LC input matching cell architecture enables fractional bandwidths of about 25%, with practical values, that match the new ECC 6–8.5-GHz UWB frequency band. An associated design method which allows low noise figure and high voltage gain is also presented. Measurements results on an LNA prototype fabricated in a 0.13- $mu$m standard CMOS process show average voltage gain and noise figure of 29.5 and 4.5 dB, respectively.      

A low supply voltage SiGe LNA for ultra-wideband frontends

A low-power low-noise amplifier (LNA) for ultra-wideband (UWB) radio systems is presented. The microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) has been fabricated using a commercial 0.25-/spl mu/m silicon-germanium (SiGe) bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS) technology. The amplifier uses peaking and feedback techniques to optimize its gain, bandwidth and impedance matching. It operates from 3.4 to 6.9GHz, which corresponds with the low end of the available UWB radio spectrum. The LNA has a peak gain of 10dB and a noise figure less than 5dB over the entire bandwidth. The circuit consumes only 3.5mW using a 1-V supply voltage. A figure of merit (FoM) for LNAs considering bandwidth, gain, noise, power consumption, and technology is proposed. The realized LNA circuit is compared with other recently published low-power LNA designs and shows the highest reported FoM.     

A fully integrated differential CMOS LNA for 3-5-GHz ultrawideband wireless receivers

A fully integrated differential low-power low-noise amplifier (LNA) for ultrawideband (UWB) systems operating in the 3-5-GHz frequency range is presented. A two-section LC ladder input network is exploited to achieve excellent input match in a wideband fashion and to optimize the noise performance. Prototypes fabricated in a digital 0.13-/spl mu/m complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology show the following performance: 9.5-dB peak power gain, 3.5-dB minimum noise figure, -6-dBm input-referred 1-dB compression point, and -0.8-dBm input-referred third-order intercept point, while drawing 11mA from a 1.5-V supply. The realized LNA is compared with previously reported LNAs tailored for the same frequency range.     

Development of Integrated Broad-Band CMOS Low-Noise Amplifiers

This paper presents a systematic design methodology for broad-band CMOS low-noise amplifiers (LNAs). The feedback technique is proposed to attain a better design tradeoff between gain and noise. The network synthesis is adopted for the implementation of broad-band matching networks. The sloped interstage matching is used for gain compensation. A fully integrated ultra-wide-band 0.18-mum CMOS LNA is developed following the design methodology. The measured noise figure is lower than 3.8 dB from 3 to 7.5 GHz, resulting in the excellent average noise figure of 3.48 dB. Operated on a 1.8-V supply, the LNA delivers 19.1-dB power gain and dissipates 32 mW of power. The gain-bandwidth product of the UWB LNA reaches 358 GHz, the record number for the 0.18-m CMOS broad-band amplifiers. The total chip size of the CMOS UWB LNA is 1.37 times 1.19 mm².     

0.2μm GaAs PHEMT3.1~10.6GHz宽带低噪声放大器设计

采用OMMIC公司提供的0.2μm GaAs PHEMT工艺(fT=60 GHz)设计并实现了一种适用于宽带无线通信系统接收前端的低噪声放大器。在3.1~10.6 GHz的频带内测试结果如下:最高增益为13 dB;增益波动<2dB;输入回波损耗S11<-11 dB;输出回波损耗S22<-16 dB;噪声系数NF<3.9 dB。5 V电源供电,功耗为120mW。芯片面积为0.5 mm×0.9 mm。与近期公开发表的宽带低噪声放大器测试结果相比较,本电路结构具有芯片面积小、工作带宽大、噪声系数低的优点。     

A low power high gain UWB LNA in 0.18-μm CMOS

A low power high gain differential UWB low noise amplifier (LNA) operating at 3-5 GHz is presented.A common gate input stage is used for wideband input matching; capacitor cross coupling (CCC) and current reuse techniques are combined to achieve high gain under low power consumption. The prototypes fabricated in 0.18-μm CMOS achieve a peak power gain of 17.5 dB with a -3 dB bandwidth of 2.8-5 GHz, a measured minimum noise figure (NF) of 3.35 dB and -12.6 dBm input-referred compression point at 5 GHz, while drawing 4.4 mA from a 1.8 V supply. The peak power gain is 14 dB under a 4.5 mW power consumption (3 mA from a 1.5 V supply). The proposed differential LNA occupies an area of 1.01 mm~2 including test pads.     

A 400 MHz Low Noise Amplifier at Cryogenic Temperature for Superconductor Filter System

A cryogenic low noise amplifier （LNA） using Agilent high electron mobility transistor （HEMT） for 380 MHzto 480 MHz is designed and fabricated, and the excellent cryogenic performance in superconducting receiver front-end for communication system is achieved. A special input impedance matching topology is implemented to provide low noise figure （NF） and good input matching in this cryogenic LNA design. The measurement results show that the NF is within 0.25 dB from the minimum NF of a single transistor, the power gain is above 20 dB, the flatness is within 1 dB, and the maximum input return loss is lower than -20 dB in bandwidth.