Abstract: This paper presents a 60 GHz balanced low noise amplifier. Compared with single-ended structures, the balanced structure can obtain a better input/output return loss, a lower noise figure (NF), a 3 dB improvement of the 1 dB compression point, a 6 dB improvement of IM3 and a doubled dynamic range. Each single-ended amplifier in this paper uses a four-stage cascade structure to achieve a high gain in broadband. At the operating frequency range of 59-64 GHz, the small signal gain of the balanced amplifier is more than 20 dB. Both the input and output return losses are less than -12 dB. The output 1 dB compression power is 10.5 dBm at 60 GHz. The simulation result for the NF is better than 3.9 dB. The chip is fabricated using a 0.15 μm GaAs pHEMT process with a size of 2.25 × 1.7 mm².

Key words: balanced amplifier, 60 GHz, low noise