Improving the Linearity of CMOS LNA Using the Post IM3 Compensator

Abstract

In this paper, a new linearization method has been proposed for a CMOS low noise amplifier(LNA) using the Post IM3 Compensator. The fundamental operating theory of the proposed method is to cancel the IM3 components of the LNA output signal by generating another IM3 components, which are out-phase with respect to that of the LNA, from the Post IM3 Compensator. A single stage common-source LNA has been designed to verify the linearity improvement of the proposed method through 0.13 ㎛ RF CMOS process for WiBro system. The designed LNA achieves +7.8 ㏈m of input-referred 3 rd -order intercept point (ⅡP3) with 13.2 ㏈ of Power Gain, 1.3 ㏈ of noise figure and 5.7 mA @1.5 V power consumption. IIP3 is compared with a conventional single stage common-source LNA, and it shows IIP3 is increased by +12.5 ㏈ without degrading other features such as gain and noise figure.