A new wideband LNA using a <i>g</i><sub>m</sub>-boosting technique

Liang Chen; Zhiqun Li; Jia Cao; Chenjian Wu; Meng Zhang

doi:10.1088/1674-4926/35/1/015002

J. Semicond. > 2014, Volume 35 > Issue 1 > 015002

SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

A new wideband LNA using a g_m-boosting technique

Liang Chen^{1, 2, 3}, Zhiqun Li^{1, 2, 3,}, Jia Cao^{1, 2, 3}, Chenjian Wu^{1, 2, 3} and Meng Zhang^{1, 2, 3}

+ Author Affiliations

Corresponding author: Li Zhiqun, Email:zhiqunli@seu.edu.cn

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/1/015002

Abstract: A new broadband low-noise amplifier (LNA) is proposed. The conventional common gate (CG) LNA exhibits a relatively high noise figure, so active g_m-boosting technology is utilized to restrain the noise generated by the input transistors and reduce the noise figure. Theory, simulation and measurement are shown. An implemented prototype using 0.13 μm CMOS technology is evaluated using on-wafer probing. S₁₁ and S₂₂ are below -10 dB across 0.1-5 GHz. Measurements also show a gain of 18.3 dB with a 3 dB bandwidth from 100 MHz to 2.1 GHz and an ⅡP3 of -7 dBm at 2 GHz. The measured noise figure is better than 2.5 dB below 2.1 GHz, is better than 4.5 dB below 5 GHz, and at 500 MHz, it gets its minimum value 1.8 dB. The LNA consumes 9 mA from 1.5 V supply and occupies an area of 0.04 mm².

Key words: broadband LNA, g_m-boosting, CMOS

References

[1]	Huang Q, Orsatti P, Piazza F. GSM transceiver front-end circuits in 0.25-μm CMOS. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 1999:292 doi: 10.1007%2F0-306-47303-8_5
[2]	Zargari M, Terrovitis M, Jen S H M, et al. A single-chip dual-band tri-mode CMOS transceiver for IEEE 802.11a/b/g wireless LAN. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2004, 39(12):2239 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2004.836349
[3]	Bao Kuan, Fan Xiangning, Zhang Li, et al. A wideband LNA employing gate-inductive-peaking and noise-canceling techniques in 0.18μm CMOS. Journal of Semiconductors, 2012, 33(1):015003 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/1/015003
[4]	Perumana B G, Zhan J H C, Taylor S S, et al. A 0.5-6 GHz improved linearity, resistive feedback 90-nm CMOS LNA. Proc IEEE Asian Solid-State Circuits Conf, 2006:263 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4197640/
[5]	Chen W H, Liu G, Zdravko B, et al. A highly linear broadband CMOS LNA employing noise and distortion cancellation. IEEE RFIC Symp Dig, 2007:61 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4494645/
[6]	El-Nozahi M, Helmy A A, Sanchez-Sinencio E, et al. An Inductor-less noise-cancelling broadband low noise amplifier with composite transistor pair in 90 nm CMOS technology. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2011, 46(5):1111 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2011.2118310
[7]	Zhuo W, Li X, Shekhar S, et al. a capacitor cross-coupled common-gate low-noise amplifier. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst, 2005, 52(12):875 doi: 10.1109/TCSII.2005.853966
[8]	Meaamar A, Boon C C, Yeo K S, et al. A wideband low power low-noise amplifier in CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst, 2010, 57(4):773 doi: 10.1109/TCSI.2009.2028592
[9]	Bruccoleri F, Klumperink E A M, Nauta B. Wide-band CMOS low-noise amplifier exploitingthermal noise canceling. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2004, 39(2):275 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2003.821786
[10]	Gharpurey R. A broadband low-noise front-end amplifier for ultra wideband in 0.13-μm CMOS. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2005, 40(9):1983 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2005.848174
[11]	Blaakmeer S C, Klumperink E A M, Leenaerts D M W, et al. Wideband balun-LNA with simultaneous output balancing, noise-canceling and distortion-canceling. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2008, 43(6):1341 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2008.922736
[12]	Kondou A, Ikebe M, Motohisa J, et al. A 0.6-4.5 GHz inductorless CMOS low noise amplifier with Gyrator-C network. 18th IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems (ICECS), 2011:326 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6122279/?reload=true&arnumber=6122279&filter%3DAND%28p_IS_Number%3A6122192%29

Fig. 1. Basic common gate LNA.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 2. Proposed CG LNA employing $g_{\rm m}$-boosting technique.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 3. The small signal equivalent circuit.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 4. Small signal equipment circuit for the calculation of output noise spectrum generated by M1.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 5. Small signal equipment circuit for the calculation of output noise spectrum generated by M2.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 6. Noise figure versus $I_{\rm d1}$.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 7. The value of $R_{2}$ versus $g_{\rm m2}$ with different $g_{\rm m1}$.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 8. NF versus $g_{\rm m2}$ with different $g_{\rm m1}$.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 9. $g_{\rm m1-min}$ versus $V_{\rm on2}$.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 10. The micrograph of the LNA with ESD.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 11. Measured $S_{11}$.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 12. Measured $S_{22}$.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 13. Measured $S_{12}$.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 14. Measured $S_{21}$.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 15. Measured noise figure.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 16. Measured input 1-dB compression point at 200 MHz.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 17. Measured input 1-dB compression point at 2 GHz.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 18. Measured input IIP3 at 200 MHz.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 19. Measured input IIP3 at 2 GHz.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Table 1. Performance comparisons with recently published LNAs.

[1]	Huang Q, Orsatti P, Piazza F. GSM transceiver front-end circuits in 0.25-μm CMOS. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 1999:292 doi: 10.1007%2F0-306-47303-8_5
[2]	Zargari M, Terrovitis M, Jen S H M, et al. A single-chip dual-band tri-mode CMOS transceiver for IEEE 802.11a/b/g wireless LAN. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2004, 39(12):2239 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2004.836349
[3]	Bao Kuan, Fan Xiangning, Zhang Li, et al. A wideband LNA employing gate-inductive-peaking and noise-canceling techniques in 0.18μm CMOS. Journal of Semiconductors, 2012, 33(1):015003 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/1/015003
[4]	Perumana B G, Zhan J H C, Taylor S S, et al. A 0.5-6 GHz improved linearity, resistive feedback 90-nm CMOS LNA. Proc IEEE Asian Solid-State Circuits Conf, 2006:263 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4197640/
[5]	Chen W H, Liu G, Zdravko B, et al. A highly linear broadband CMOS LNA employing noise and distortion cancellation. IEEE RFIC Symp Dig, 2007:61 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4494645/
[6]	El-Nozahi M, Helmy A A, Sanchez-Sinencio E, et al. An Inductor-less noise-cancelling broadband low noise amplifier with composite transistor pair in 90 nm CMOS technology. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2011, 46(5):1111 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2011.2118310
[7]	Zhuo W, Li X, Shekhar S, et al. a capacitor cross-coupled common-gate low-noise amplifier. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst, 2005, 52(12):875 doi: 10.1109/TCSII.2005.853966
[8]	Meaamar A, Boon C C, Yeo K S, et al. A wideband low power low-noise amplifier in CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst, 2010, 57(4):773 doi: 10.1109/TCSI.2009.2028592
[9]	Bruccoleri F, Klumperink E A M, Nauta B. Wide-band CMOS low-noise amplifier exploitingthermal noise canceling. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2004, 39(2):275 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2003.821786
[10]	Gharpurey R. A broadband low-noise front-end amplifier for ultra wideband in 0.13-μm CMOS. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2005, 40(9):1983 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2005.848174
[11]	Blaakmeer S C, Klumperink E A M, Leenaerts D M W, et al. Wideband balun-LNA with simultaneous output balancing, noise-canceling and distortion-canceling. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2008, 43(6):1341 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2008.922736
[12]	Kondou A, Ikebe M, Motohisa J, et al. A 0.6-4.5 GHz inductorless CMOS low noise amplifier with Gyrator-C network. 18th IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems (ICECS), 2011:326 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6122279/?reload=true&arnumber=6122279&filter%3DAND%28p_IS_Number%3A6122192%29

Search

GET CITATION

shu

Export: BibTex EndNote

Article Metrics

Article views: 2169 Times PDF downloads: 36 Times Cited by: 0 Times

History

Received: 08 June 2013 Revised: 18 July 2013 Online: Published: 01 January 2014

A new broadband low-noise amplifier (LNA) is proposed. The conventional common gate (CG) LNA exhibits a relatively high noise figure, so active g_m-boosting technology is utilized to restrain the noise generated by the input transistors and reduce the noise figure. Theory, simulation and measurement are shown. An implemented prototype using 0.13 μm CMOS technology is evaluated using on-wafer probing. S₁₁ and S₂₂ are below -10 dB across 0.1-5 GHz. Measurements also show a gain of 18.3 dB with a 3 dB bandwidth from 100 MHz to 2.1 GHz and an ⅡP3 of -7 dBm at 2 GHz. The measured noise figure is better than 2.5 dB below 2.1 GHz, is better than 4.5 dB below 5 GHz, and at 500 MHz, it gets its minimum value 1.8 dB. The LNA consumes 9 mA from 1.5 V supply and occupies an area of 0.04 mm².

A new wideband LNA using a g_m-boosting technique

References

Search

GET CITATION

Share:

Article Metrics

History

Catalog

Email This Article

A new wideband LNA using a g_m-boosting technique

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/1/015002

Abstract

References

Proportional views

Catalog

A new wideband LNA using a gm-boosting technique

References

Search

GET CITATION

Share:

Article Metrics

History

Catalog

Email This Article

A new wideband LNA using a gm-boosting technique

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/1/015002

Abstract

References

Proportional views

Catalog

Export File

Citation

Format

Content

A new wideband LNA using a g_m-boosting technique

A new wideband LNA using a g_m-boosting technique