A 3.1–10.6‐GHz Current‐Reused CMOS Ultra‐Wideband Low‐Noise Amplifier Using Self‐Forward Body Bias and Forward Combining Techniques

Abstract

ABSTRACTA 3.1–10.6‐GHz ultra‐wideband low‐noise amplifier (UWB LNA) with excellent phase linearity property (group‐delay variation is only ±19.46 ps across the whole band) using standard 0.18‐µm CMOS technology is reported. Current reused, self‐forward body bias and forward combining techniques are used to achieve low power and high‐power gain (S21). Both high and flat S21 and low and flat noise figure (NF) frequency responses are achieved by tuning the pole frequencies and pole quality factors of the second‐order gain and NF frequency responses to approximate the maximally flat condition simultaneously. The LNA dissipates 6.93‐mW power and achieves NF of 3.76 at 10 GHz. In addition, the LNA achieves input return loss (S11) smaller than −10.6 dB, and high and flat S21 of 11.02 ± 0.47 dB over the 3.1–10.6‐GHz band. The corresponding figure of merit (FOM) is 3.11 GHz/mW, one of the lowest FOMs ever reported for a 3.1–10.6 GHz CMOS UWB LNA. The measured input third‐order intermodulation point (IIP3) is −3.6 dBm at 6 GHz. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2296–2302, 2013