A 32.8 dB gain, 3.5 dB NF, 7 mW, 20.35 GHz LNA with embedded 30 GHz band-stop filter

Abstract

This paper presents a 20.35 GHz low power, high gain, low-noise amplifier (LNA) with a 30 GHz band-stop filter embedded in the matching network. Designed in a 0.25 μm SiGe:C BiCMOS technology, it meets the specifications imposed by a full-duplex K/Ka-band shared aperture active phased-array antennas for satellite communications. The LNA exhibits a measured gain of 32.8 dB at 20.35 GHz and a 3 dB bandwidth of 2.25 GHz. The measured IIP3, IP 1dB , and OP 1dB are −21.2, −34.3 and −2.5 dBm, respectively. Including the losses due to the band-stop filter and the bondwire interconnects between chip and board, it achieves 3.5 dB NF at the center frequency. Among published K-band counterparts in Silicon technologies, the LNA has the highest gain and the best figure of merit, considering noise, gain, and linearity. It consumes only 7 mW, with a chip area of 407 × 287 μm2.