Design and implementation of a 1.5‐ to 17‐GHz SiGe UWB LNA utilizing multiple‐feedback loops and inductive peaking technique

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, we demonstrate a 1.5‐ to 17‐GHz ultra‐wideband (UWB) low‐noise amplifier (LNA) with small‐inductance input inductor and multiple‐feedback loops implemented in a 0.35 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. A method named inductive peaking, which adds an inductor in series with the base‐terminal of the second‐stage amplifier to enhance the frequency of the dominant pole, was adopted to improve gain and bandwidth of the LNA. The measurement results show that very flat gain (S21) of 8 ± 0.5 dB was achieved for frequencies between 2 and 15 GHz. In addition, reverse isolation (S12) lower than −27 dB, input return loss (S11) and output return loss (S22 lower than −9 dB, and noise figure lower than 5.5 dB was achieved in the 3.1–10.6 GHz UWB band. The chip area was 775 × 710 μm2, excluding the test pads. This LNA drains 7 mA current at supply voltage of 3 V, i.e. it only consumes 21 mW power. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 876–879, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI.10.1002/mop.22284