Abstract: A new, low complexity, ultra-wideband 3.1–10.6 GHz low noise amplifier (LNA), designed in a chartered 0.18 μm RFCMOS technology, is presented. The ultra-wideband LNA consists of only two simple amplifiers with an inter-stage inductor connected. The first stage utilizing a resistive current reuse and dual inductive degeneration technique is used to attain a wideband input matching and low noise figure. A common source amplifier with an inductive peaking technique as the second stage achieves high flat gain and wide –3 dB bandwidth of the overall amplifier simultaneously. The implemented ultra-wideband LNA presents a maximum power gain of 15.6 dB, and a high reverse isolation of - 45 dB, and good input/output return losses are better than –10 dB in the frequency range of 3.1–10.6 GHz. An excellent noise figure (NF) of 2.8–4.7 dB was obtained in the required band with a power dissipation of 14.1 mW under a supply voltage of 1.5 V. An input-referred third-order intercept point (IIP3) is –7.1 dBm at 6 GHz. The chip area, including testing pads, is only 0.8 × 0.9 mm².

Key words: CMOS