Measured Noise Figure Research Articles

RF CMOS Low Noise Amplifier Design-A Case Study

A design methodology of Differential Design of CMOS low noise amplifier (LNA) with source degeneration for Bluetooth frequency is presented. The results show that the proposed topology is effective and can be used to achieve the minimum noise figure at all frequencies of interest. This LNA was realized in 0.18μm CMOS technology using Microwave Office Tool from AWR Inc. The measured noise figure is 2.066 dB and the gain is 20.29 dB.

Frequency-resolved noise figure measurements of phase (in)sensitive fiber optical parametric amplifiers.

We measure the frequency-resolved noise figure of fiber optical parametric amplifiers both in phase-insensitive and phase-sensitive modes in the frequency range from 0.03 to 3 GHz. We also measure the variation in noise figure due to the degradation in pump optical signal to noise ratio and also as a function of the input signal powers. Noise figure degradation due to stimulated Brillouin scattering is observed.

Co-design of a wideband double-balanced active mixer and transformer-based baluns for 77 GHz radar applications

This paper presents a 130-nm BiCMOS active mixer dedicated to 77GHz automotive radar applications. The architecture is based on a double-balanced Gilbert cell with integrated transformer-based baluns. Interconnections between devices, capacitor accesses and Tee-junctions are modeled using EM software in order to improve the simulation accuracy. Focusing on wideband operation, the transformer-based baluns are considered as part of the input matching network. Sizing of the transformer is detailed along with its amplitude and phase balance performances. The design of the input matching circuit integrating the transformer is presented, providing a 12-GHz bandwidth. Measured noise figure, conversion gain and compression point of the mixer are displayed and compared to the state of the art.

Performance Improvement in Analog Photonics Link Incorporating Digital Post-Compensation and Low-Noise Electrical Amplifier

In this paper, we investigate the performance improvement in analog photonics link incorporating digital signal processing technique and low-noise electrical amplifiers. The proposed linearization does not require to know the precise transfer function of the whole nonlinear system, which is achieved by directly acquiring the output third-order intercept point from the system hardware. Through using a high-performance pre- and post-amplifier, improved link noise figure and gain are obtained while the nonlinearity of the electrical amplifiers can be also compensated by the proposed algorithm. Experimentally, spurious-free dynamic range of 128.3 dB in 1-Hz bandwidth is achieved for a digitizer noise limited analog photonics link. The measured noise figure and gain of the photonics link are 8.9 and 27.5 dB, respectively.

On-Wafer Noise Measurement at 300 GHz Using UTC-PD as Noise Source

We demonstrate on-wafer noise measurement based on the Y-factor technique at 300 GHz utilizing a uni-traveling-carrier photodiode (UTC-PD) as a noise source. Since the UTC-PD can provide high and scalable noise power for the hot state and has a waveguide output port, easy and reliable measurement is available even at terahertz frequencies, where the loss from the experiment setup is not ignorable. We describe the experimental procedure with the UTC-PD as a noise source and a diode mixer as a noise receiver and present a noise figure measurement for a 300 GHz amplifier MMIC in an on-wafer environment. In addition, we discuss the uncertainty due to using the UTC-PD.

A system for automated noise parameter measurements on MR preamplifiers and application to high B(0) fields.

A noise figure and noise parameter measurement system was developed that consists of a combination spectrum and network analyzer, preamplifier, programmable power supply, noise source, tuning board, and desktop computer. The system uses the Y-factor method for noise figure calculation and allows calibrations to correct for a decrease in excess noise ratio between the noise source and device under test, second stage (system) noise, ambient temperature variations, and available gain of the device under test. Noise parameters are extracted by performing noise figure measurements at several source impedance values obtained by adjusting an electronically controlled tuner. Results for several amplifiers at 128 MHz and 200 MHz agree with independent measurements and with the corresponding datasheets. With some modifications, the system was also used to characterize the noise figure of MRI preamplifiers in strong static magnetic fields up to 9.4 T. In most amplifiers tested the gain was found to be reduced by the magnetic field, while the noise figure increased. These changes are detrimental to signal quality (SNR) and are dependent on the electron mobility and design of the amplifier's semiconductor devices. Consequently, gallium arsenide (GaAs) field-effect transistors are most sensitive to magnetic fields due to their high electron mobility and long, narrow channel, while silicon-germanium (SiGe) bipolar transistor amplifiers are largely immune due to their very thin base.

A 2.4 GHz Ultra-Low-Power Current-Reuse CG-LNA With Active <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">${\rm G}_{\rm m}$</tex> </formula>-Boosting Technique

An ultra-low-power common-gate low noise amplifier (CG-LNA) for 2.4 GHz wireless sensor network (WSN) applications is proposed in this letter. The current-reuse and active <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$g_{\rm m}$</tex></formula> -boosting techniques are utilized. The analysis, design method and measurement results are shown. An implemented prototype using 0.18 <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$\mu$</tex></formula> m CMOS technology is evaluated using on-wafer probing. Measurements also show a gain of 14.7 dB and an <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">${\rm IIP}_{3}$</tex> </formula> of 2 dBm at 2.44 GHz. The measured noise figure is 4.8 dB at 2.44 GHz. <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">${\rm S}_{11}$</tex></formula> is below <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">${-}18$</tex></formula> dB from 2–3 GHz. The proposed LNA consumes 0.58 mW from 1.8 V dc supply.

Determination of noise figure of differential circuits using correlation of output noise waves

The noise characterisation of differential circuits is considered. A new method for the determination of the differential mode noise power at the output of these circuits is presented. It is demonstrated that this differential noise power depends not only on the output noise powers but also on the correlation of the output noise waves. An analytical expression of this correlation in terms of the S -parameters and the output noise powers is determined. Based on the presented theory, a fast and simple technique is developed for the noise figure measurement of differential circuits.

A new wideband LNA using a gm-boosting technique

A new broadband low-noise amplifier (LNA) is proposed. The conventional common gate (CG) LNA exhibits a relatively high noise figure, so active gm-boosting technology is utilized to restrain the noise generated by the input transistors and reduce the noise figure. Theory, simulation and measurement are shown. An implemented prototype using 0.13 μm CMOS technology is evaluated using on-wafer probing. S11 and S22 are below −10 dB across 0.1–5 GHz. Measurements also show a gain of 18.3 dB with a 3 dB bandwidth from 100 MHz to 2.1 GHz and an IIP3 of −7 dBm at 2 GHz. The measured noise figure is better than 2.5 dB below 2.1 GHz, is better than 4.5 dB below 5 GHz, and at 500 MHz, it gets its minimum value 1.8 dB. The LNA consumes 9 mA from 1.5 V supply and occupies an area of 0.04 mm2.

A 70–90-GHz High-Linearity Multi-Band Quadrature Receiver in ${\hbox{0.35-}}\mu{\hbox {m}}$ SiGe Technology

An integrated frequency agile quadrature E-band receiver is presented in this paper. The complete receiver is realized in a commercial 0.35-μm SiGe:C technology with an ft/fmax of 170/250 GHz. The receiver covers the two point-to-point communication bands from 71 to 76 GHz and from 81 to 86 GHz and the automotive radar band at 77 GHz. A wide tuning range modified Colpitts oscillator provides a local oscillator (LO) tuning range > 30%. A two-stage constant phase RC polyphase network is implemented to provide wideband in-phase quadrature LO signals. The measured phase imbalance of the network stays below 8° over the receiver's frequency range. In addition the chip includes a wideband low-noise amplifier, Wilkinson power divider, down conversion mixers, and frequency prescaler. Each of the chip's receiver I/Q paths shows a measured conversion gain above 19 dB and an input referred 1-dB compression point of -22 dBm. The receiver's measured noise figure stays below 11 dB over the complete frequency range. Furthermore, the receiver has a measured IF bandwidth of 6 GHz. The complete chip including prescaler draws a current of 230 mA from a 3.3-V supply, and consumes a chip area of 1628 μm×1528 μm.

Broadband Millimeter-Wave LNAs (47–77 GHz and 70–140 GHz) Using a T-Type Matching Topology

This paper presents the design and characterization of two broadband millimeter-wave LNAs realized in 0.25- μm and 0.13- μm SiGe BiCMOS technologies. Both circuits adopt a T-type matching topology to achieve the wide bandwidth (47-77 GHz for the V-band LNA and 70-140 GHz for the W/F-band LNA). The measured maximum gain is about 23 dB for both LNAs. The measured noise figure (NF) is below 7.2 dB (from 50 to 75 GHz) for the V-band LNA and below 7 dB (from 78 to 110 GHz) for the W/F-band LNA. Both LNAs are differential circuits and consume 52/54 mW dc power. To the best of the authors' knowledge, both LNAs achieve the widest bandwidth in corresponding frequency bands with very competitive gain and NF.

Low‐noise and high‐gain wideband LNA with g m ‐boosting technique

A broadband low-noise amplifier (LNA) is proposed. The active gm -boosting technique is utilised to reduce the common-gate (CG) LNA noise figure and improve gain. An implemented prototype using 0.13 μm CMOS technology is evaluated using on-wafer probing. S 11 and S 22 are below − 10 dB across 0.1–5 GHz. Measurements show a power gain of 18.3 dB with a − 3 dB bandwidth from 100 MHz to 2.1 GHz and an IIP3 of − 7 dBm at 2 GHz. The measured noise figure is better than 2.5 dB below 2.1 GHz, better than 4.5 dB below 5 GHz and at 500 MHz it obtains its minimum value 1.8 dB. The LNA consumes 14 mW from 1.5 V supply and occupies an area of 0.04 mm2.

Comparative analysis of receiver bandwidth effects on Y-factor and cold-source noise figure measurements

A known source of error in noise figure characterization is the variation of the device characteristics within the bandwidth of the instrument receiver. In this paper, an in-depth analysis of the effect of the receiver bandwidth on noise figure characterization accuracy is developed. For the first time, comparative results for Y-factor and cold-source techniques are given. The analysis clarifies some contradictions about the origin and the final impact of bandwidth effects in Y-factor. In addition, effects derived from an excessively wide bandwidth of the noise receiver are shown to be completely different in both techniques, being more critical in cold-source. As a result of the analysis, correction terms are provided for those cases in which receivers with narrow enough bandwidths are not available. The conclusions extracted from the theoretical formulation are confirmed by the measurements carried out on several narrow-band devices under tests with different characteristics.

Single transistor high linearity and wide dynamic range active inductor

SummaryIn this paper, an active inductor (AI) with high linearity and high dynamic range, including a minimum number of components, is presented. The AI is composed by a single transistor, and by a passive compensation network; the latter allows the control of the values of both the inductance and the series resistance.In order to show the feasibility of the proposed AI for filter applications, a prototype board on a TLX8 substrate with a first‐order active band‐pass filter has been fabricated and tested. The filter has a center frequency of 2470 MHz (useful for Bluetooth applications) and a measured noise figure (NF) of 9 dB with a −5 dBm P1dB compression point, and a 75 dB dynamic range. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Performance Improvement of a 0.18-$\mu{\rm m}$ CMOS Microwave Amplifier Using Micromachined Suspended Inductors: Theory and Experiment

This paper presents the quality factor improvement of the micromachined suspended inductors and their usage in a fully integrated 0.18-μm CMOS microwave amplifier. Removing the lossy silicon substrate underneath the spiral inductors by adopting post-CMOS compatible microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology allows construction of suspended structures with a high Q-factor. Although micromachining technology has had a remarkable impact on industries in recent years, it is still challenging to design fully integrated CMOS-MEMS active circuits at microwave frequencies. To evaluate the performance improvement of 0.18-μm CMOS microwave amplifiers by using micromachined suspended inductors, two amplifiers in the 24-GHz industrial, scientific, and medical band were designed and fabricated with and without the MEMS process for comparison. At 0.85-V low supply voltage, the measured peak gain of the microwave amplifier can be significantly increased from 12.3 to 13.7dB due to the high Q-factor suspended inductors. In addition, the measured noise figure of the 24-GHz microwave amplifier is effectively improved from 5.8 to 5.0dB. Theories for predicting the gain and noise figure improvement are also presented, and the mechanisms are validated by experiments. Also, a proposed simplified double-π micromachined inductor model considering the skin effect is introduced and characterized.

93–133 GHz Band InP High-Electron-Mobility Transistor Amplifier with Gain-Enhanced Topology

In this study, we developed a new type of high-frequency amplifier topology using 75-nm-gate-length InP-based high-electron-mobility transistors (InP HEMTs). To enhance the gain for a wide frequency range, a common-source common-gate hybrid amplifier topology was proposed. A transformer-based balun placed at the input of the amplifier generates differential signals, which are fed to the gate and source terminals of the transistor. The amplified signal is outputted at the drain node. The simulation results show that the hybrid topology exhibits a higher gain from 90 to 140 GHz than that of the conventional common-source or common-gate amplifier. The two-stage amplifier fabricated using the topology exhibits a small signal gain of 12 dB and a 3-dB bandwidth of 40 GHz (93–133 GHz), which is the largest bandwidth and the second highest gain reported among those of published 120-GHz-band amplifiers. In addition, the measured noise figure was 5 dB from 90 to 100 GHz.

3.1–10.6 GHz ultra-wideband LNA design using dual-resonant broadband matching technique

This paper presents an ultra-wideband low noise amplifier design using the dual-resonant broadband matching technique. The proposed LNA achieves a 10.2dB gain with ±0.9dB gain flatness over a frequency range of 3.1–10.6GHz and a −3-dB bandwidth of 2.4–11.6GHz. The measured noise figure ranges from 3.2 to 4.7dB over 3.1–10.6GHz. At 6.5GHz, the measured IIP3 and input-referred P1dB are +6dBm and −5dBm, respectively. The proposed LNA occupies an active chip area of 0.56mm2 in a TSMC 0.18μm RF-CMOS process and consumes 16mW from a 1.8V supply.

A CMOS 3.1 - 10.6 GHz UWB LNA Employing Modified Derivative Superposition Method

Low noise amplifier (LNA) performs as the initial amplification block in the receive path in a radio frequency (RF) receiver. In this work an ultra-wideband 3.1 10.6-GHz LNA is discussed. By using the proposed circuits for RF CMOS LNA and design methodology, the noise from the device is decreased across the ultra wide band (UWB) band. The measured noise figure is 2.66 3 dB over 3.1 10.6-GHz, while the power gain is 14 ± 0.8 dB. It consumes 23.7 mW from a 1.8 V supply. The input and output return losses (S11 & S22) are less than –11 dB over the UWB band. By using the modified derivative superposition method, the third-order intercept point IIP3 is improved noticeably. The complete circuit is based on the 0.18 μm standard RFCMOS technology and simulated with Hspice simulator.

A 65 mW fully integrated UHF-band CMMB tuner in 65 nm CMOS process

A low power fully integrated digital TV tuner chip for China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting (CMMB) application is presented. Based on direction conversion architecture, analog 8th-order filter/gain stages utilizing high power efficient operation-amplifiers and a ΣΔ fractional-N phase locked loop (PLL) with one voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) covering 4.8–7.2 GHz is proposed for low power and small chip area. The tuner is implemented in 65 nm CMOS process with low noise amplifier (LNA) matching network and phase locked loop (PLL) filter integrated on chip, occupying a chip area of 4.83 mm2. The measured noise figure (NF) is less than 3.2 dB over CMMB UHF band (470–798 MHz). A total power consumption of 65 mW (54 mA from 1.2 V supply) is achieved.

Gain, Noise Figure and Efficiency Characteristics of an L-Band Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier

In this work, the construction of a single stage L-band erbium-doped fiber amplifier which incorporates a short 5.1 m erbium doped fiber coil is described. Gain and noise figure measurements as a function of forward, backward and counter-propagating CW 1480 nm pumping schemes at different pump power levels are presented. Further, the Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) power conversion efficiency (PCE) calculations as a function of pump power are provided.