X-band Low-noise Amplifier Research Articles

Numerical simulation of single-particle transients in low-noise amplifiers based on silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors and inverse-mode structures

In this work, TCAD simulation modeling is carried out for silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor (SiGe HBT), and an X-band low noise amplifier (LNA) circuit is built based on the SiGe HBT device model to carry out the hybrid simulation of single-particle transient (SET). The rule of SET pulse varying with LET value and incident angle of ions is studied, and the results show that with the increase of incident LET value, the amplitude of SET pulse at the LNA port increases, and the oscillation time is prolonged; with the increase of incident angle of ions, the amplitude of SET pulse at the LNA port first increases and then decreases, and the oscillation time decreases. With the development of the characterization process, the cutoff frequency (<i>f</i><sub>T</sub>) and the maximum oscillation frequency (<i>f</i><sub>MAX</sub>) of SiGe HBT device with IM structure, are measured considering the use of inverse-mode (IM) common emitter and common-base structures (Cascode) to reduce the sensitivity of the LNAs to single-particle effects. This work calibrates the devices of the TCAD platform as well as the devices of the ADS platform, establishes F-F LNAs as well as I-F LNAs on the ADS, respectively, and verifies the relevant RF performances of the LNA circuits by using the IM-structured SiGe HBTs as the core devices. The SET experiments are performed on the Sentaurus TCAD platform for the F-F LNA circuit and I-F LNA circuit for ions incident on two positions: common base transistor and common emitter transistor, respectively. It is concluded that the LNA with IM structure still shows good RF performance compared with the standard LNA at 130 nm. The transient current duration of the LNA circuit with IM Cascode structure is significantly reduced, and the peak value is reduced by 66% or more, which significantly reduces the sensitivity of the SiGe LNA circuit to SET.

Unveiling Tmax Inside GaN HEMT Based X-Band Low-Noise Amplifier by Correlating Thermal Simulations and IR Thermographic Measurements

This paper presents a method to reveal the channel temperature profile of high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) in a multi-stage monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC). The device used for this study is a two-stage X-band low-noise amplifier fabricated using 0.15 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula> m GaN-on-SiC technology with 4 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> 50 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula> m and 4 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> 75 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula> m HEMTs at the first and the second stage, respectively. The surface temperature measured through infrared (IR) thermography has a diffraction-limited resolution. Moreover, it is impossible to measure sub-surface Tmax residing inside the two-dimensional electron gas of HEMT using IR thermographic measurements. Finite element analysis (FEA) thermal simulations are performed in this study to acquire the surface and sub-surface temperature profiles of the whole MMIC. IR measurements and FEA simulations are integrated through a correlation-based method verifying the accuracy of the FEA-based temperature profiles. This method leads to accurately finding the hotspots in the MMIC, thus revealing the Tmax of both stages. The correlation method using two filters approach to match the measurements and simulated temperature profiles of all the stages finds its application in MMICs’ high-temperature operating lifetime reliability tests.

An X-Band State Adjustable Low Noise Amplifier Using Current Reuse Technique

This article presents an on-chip state-adjustable 8 GHz~12 GHz low-noise amplifier (LNA). It has two characteristics. First, an improved current reuse topology is proposed. By connecting a small capacitor in parallel with the drain of the first-stage transistor, the bandwidth is expanded and the in-band flatness is improved. Second, an innovative adaptive bias circuit is designed to cope with the influence of temperature and process on the performance of the amplifier, and a design method for on-chip adjustment of the chip state is proposed for the first time. As a result of these technologies, the chip area is 1.1 mm × 0.8 mm, the chip provides 24.4 dB nominal gain with merely 0.75 dB noise at 10 GHz, and yields 14.5 dBm output power at 1 dB compression point (OP1dB) when biased at 30 mA quiescent current, meanwhile, gain, OP1dB, and quiescent current can be adjusted on-chip. This design improves the comprehensive performance of X-band LNA and provides more flexibility for system engineers in application. The chip is fabricated using Win Semiconductors’ 0.15 um InGaAs pHEMT E-mode process.

Design ofGaN‐basedX‐band LNAsto achieve sub‐1.2 dBnoise figure

GaAs and SiGe technologies take an edge over GaN-based devices in terms of better noise figure (NF). In this article, we present HEMT topologies and design techniques to achieve a sub-1.2 dB NF for a GaN-based X-band low-noise amplifier (LNA). This NF is comparable with state-of-the-art reported works in competitive GaAs and SiGe technologies. Moreover, this is the best reported NF in X-band using GaN technology to date. Two LNAs are fabricated using in-house 0.15 μm AlGaN/GaN on the SiC HEMT process. LNA-1 has inductive source degenerated (ISD) HEMTs at both stages, while LNA-2 has ISD HEMT at the first and common source at the second stage. The significance of ISD HEMT, for the first or subsequent stages in a multi-stage design, towards NF improvement is addressed. The criticality of stability networks towards NF contribution and its design is discussed in detail. Furthermore, even-mode stability of each HEMT after complete LNA design is assured using the S-probe method in Pathwave Advanced Design Systems.

Design and Fabrication of an X-Band Low Noise Amplifier Using FR-4 for Military Radar and Ground Station Receiver Applications

The low noise amplifier (LNA) plays an important role in the radiofrequency receiver front-ends, its main function is to amplify the weak receiving signal from the ground noise, as well as improving the receiver sensitivity. For LNAs which operate in the frequencies higher than the S-band, the printed circuit board (PCB) with high cost substrate materials have been used in almost designs so far, thus increasing the total price of the entire receiving unit. This paper introduces a new approach, in which a LNA has been designed using the FR-4 material, a common, low-cost substrate in PCB fabrication. The proposed LNA will maintain the quality of all of the important parameters such as gain, noise figure in compared with the LNAs designed by high cost material substrates. The stepped impedance matching technique is used in order to reach a balance between the circuit dimension and its efficiency. The frequency range of the proposed LNA lies within the X-band, which is a suitable range for military RADAR applications. Furthermore, it is possible to apply the desired LNA in the ground station receiver front-ends of a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Earth Observation Satellite system

A photoreceiver with an integrated X-band low-noise amplifier

The paper presents development results for a photodetector module with an integrated lownoise amplifier. The photodetector is based on a commercial indium-phosphide photodiode and a custom-designed adapter board and allows to use an optical carrier with wavelengths of 1.31 and 1.55 μm and performs optoelectronic conversion for electrical signals into 0–50 GHz range. The developed gallium arsenide low-noise amplifier is used to compensate photodiode conversion loss in the X-band frequency range. The photodetector module is intended for use as a microwave photonic link receiver, which provides a significant extension of the signal transmission range in comparison with classical types of transmission lines

Research and Design of X-band Low Noise Amplifier Based on CMOS Process

Based on CMOS process, a low noise amplifier(LNA) operating at 7.4GHz~11.4GHz was designed. The two-stage differential cascode structure is adopted. Transformer was used to achieve inter-stage matching. Balun was used to achieve input and output matching, which reduces the number of inductors used, effectively reduces the chip size while ensuring good gain and noise figure. The actual measurement results show that the power gain at the center frequency of 9.4GHz is 27dB, the maximum noise figure is less than 3.82dB, the output power 1dB compression point is greater than 8dBm, the chip area is only 0.41mm×0.83mm(excluding PAD).

Optical sensitivity of HEMT-based devices and low-noise amplifiers

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to provide a complete and clear overview of the distinguishing dc and microwave features of HEMT performance under illumination. Devices based on different materials and technologies have been employed, thus making clear that the relevant findings can be considered of general validity. The analysis has been carried out in terms of dc, scattering and noise parameters, and supported with extensive measurements and in-depth modelling. Finally, the performance of X-band low-noise amplifiers with HEMTs exposed to laser radiation has been investigated. This study targets to contribute in the development of optically controlled transistors to perform various functions in microwave electronics circuits.

Noise performance of an AlGaN/GaN monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) low‐noise amplifier under laser exposure

The aim of this study is to disclose how the performance of a gallium nitride (GaN)-based X-band low-noise amplifier is modified by applying a blue-ray (404 nm) laser beam. The tested amplifier employs an aluminium gallium nitride/GaN (AlGaN/GaN) high electron mobility transistor on silicon carbide whose dc and noise behaviour have been first analysed with and without optical illumination. Mild improvement of the gain together with severe degradation of the noise figure has occurred during light exposure with the amplifier operating according to the recommended bias condition. Conversely, pronounced improvement of the performance has taken place when the amplifier has been biased close to the transistor pinch-off point. The results presented in this work follow a previous intense activity carried out on devices and amplifiers based on gallium arsenide technology.

A Highly Linear Dual-Gain CMOS Low-Noise Amplifier for &lt;inline-formula&gt; &lt;tex-math notation="LaTeX"&gt;$X$ &lt;/tex-math&gt; &lt;/inline-formula&gt;-Band

A highly linear X-band low-noise amplifier (LNA) is proposed and implemented in a standard 0.18- $\mu \text{m}$ CMOS technology. The LNA features both high- and low-gain operation modes. In its normal high-gain mode, the LNA shows a small-signal gain of 13.6 dB with an IIP3 of +9.5 dBm and a noise figure of 4.7 dB. The two-stage amplifier draws 90 mA from the 3.3-V power supply to achieve +14.8 dBm output P1dB (+2.2 dBm input P1dB). In the low-gain mode, the gain is reduced by about 10 dB to further enhance the linearity and to accommodate very large blockers. Accordingly, the input P1dB is enhanced to +13.7 dBm while the noise figure is increased by 8.1 dB. A technique is also introduced to maintain the input matching when the LNA is switched to operate in the low-gain mode.

An X-Band SiGe BiCMOS Triple-Cascode LNA With Boosted Gain and P1dB

In this brief, the design, implementation, and experimental results of an X-band low noise amplifier (LNA) implemented in 0.13 $\boldsymbol \mu \text{m}$ SiGe BiCMOS process technology is reported. The presented LNA based on an inductively degenerated triple-cascode topology employing SiGe hetero-junction bipolar transistors (HBT) featuring ${f} _{\textbf {T}}/{f} _{\textbf {max}}$ of 250/330 GHz. To authors’ best knowledge, this brief is the first LNA incorporating triple-cascode topology and HBTs. Design techniques explored to enhance the gain, noise figure (NF), and linearity performance, along with the investigation of advantages provided by utilizing triple-cascode configuration are addressed. The measurement of the proposed LNA results in a minimum NF of 1.35 dB at 8 GHz, which remains less than 1.7 dB across 6–12 GHz frequency band. In addition, the LNA delivers a peak gain of 20.5 dB at 9 GHz, where it exhibits a state-of-the-art output 1-dB compression point (OP1dB) of 18.75 dBm and third-order intercept point OIP3 of 24.75 dBm, while drawing 21 mA dc current from a 4.8-V supply. According to the utilized figure-of-merit, the measured results are better compared to previously reported work in the open literature.

Single-Event Effects in High-Frequency Linear Amplifiers: Experiment and Analysis

The single-event transient (SET) response of two different silicon-germanium (SiGe) X-band (8–12 GHz) low noise amplifier (LNA) topologies is fully investigated in this paper. The two LNAs were designed and implemented in 130nm SiGe HBT BiCMOS process technology. Two-photon absorption (TPA) laser pulses were utilized to induce transients within various devices in these LNAs. Impulse response theory is identified as a useful tool for predicting the settling behavior of the LNAs subjected to heavy ion strikes. Comprehensive device and circuit level modeling and simulations were performed to accurately simulate the behavior of the circuits under ion strikes. The simulations agree well with TPA measurements. The simulation, modeling and analysis presented in this paper can be applied for any other circuit topologies for SET modeling and prediction.

X- and K-Band SiGe HBT LNAs With 1.2- and 2.2-dB Mean Noise Figures

This paper presents low-noise amplifiers (LNA) at X- and K-band frequencies in a 0.18- μm SiGe HBT technology. A method of noise match optimization with respect to base inductance in SiGe LNA design with large transistors is proposed. The measured X- and K-band LNAs result in 1.2- and 2.2-dB mean noise figure in their frequency bands, with an associated peak gain of 24.2 and 19 dB at 8.5 and 19.5 GHz, respectively. The measured IIP <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> is -11 and -4 dBm at 10 and 20 GHz, for a power consumption of 32.8 mW (X-band LNA) and 22.5 mW (K-band LNA). To the authors' best knowledge, these results outperform all available CMOS designs and achieve the lowest mean noise figure at X- and K-bands in any SiGe or CMOS process. The main application areas are in low-noise receivers for terrestrial communication systems and low-cost radars.

X-band, high performance, SiGe-heterojunction bipolar transistors-low noise amplifier for phased array radar applications

This study presents an X-band low noise amplifier (LNA) implemented in 0.25 µm SiGe BiCMOS process aiming for phased array radar applications. The LNA is composed of two cascode stages using SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors to achieve low noise figure, high gain and a better matching to 50 Ω at the input and output, simultaneously. The first stage is designed for low noise performance whereas the second stage is optimised to improve the input third-order intercept point (IIP3). The LNA resulted in a measured gain of 21 dB, a noise figure of 1.52 dB and an IIP3 of −8 dBm at 10 GHz. The active chip area without pads is 620×820 µm2 and the power dissipation is 22 mW from a 2.2 V power supply. These performance parameters collectively constitute the best figure-of-merit value of 101, reported in similar technologies.

InP-HEMT X-band Low-Noise Amplifier With Ultralow 0.6-mW Power Consumption

We report a single-stage InP-high-electron-mobility-transistor (HEMT) X-band low-noise amplifier (LNA) featuring an ultralow dc power consumption at room temperature. The LNA was fabricated with the ETH Zürich 100-nm InP-HEMT MMIC coplanar waveguide process. When operated with a dc power consumption of only 0.6 mW, our LNA delivers a gain of 9.0 ± 0.9 dB from 7 to 11 GHz with a minimum noise figure of 1.4 dB at 9.8 GHz. The excellent LNA performance is enabled by the favorable characteristics of our InP HEMTs under low-power-dissipation biases. For example, at a bias of <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">V</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">DS</sub> = 0.5 V and <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">I</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">DS</sub> = 66.2 mA/mm, our (0.1 × 2 × 50 μm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> ) InP HEMTs feature cutoff frequencies of <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">fT</i> = 183 GHz and <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">f</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">MAX</sub> = 230 GHz . The present results demonstrate the excellent capabilities of InP-HEMT technology for high-speed, low-voltage, and room-temperature low-power-consumption applications.

Broadband X-band low noise amplifier based on 70 nm GaAs metamorphic high electron mobility transistor technology for deep space and satellite communication networks and oscillation issues

An X-band low noise amplifier (LNA) using the 70 nm GaAs metamorphic high electron mobility transistors (mHEMT) process available from OMMIC has been reported. The foundry model-based simulated response, on-wafer measurements of the fabricated monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) LNA and measured data of packaged LNA at room temperature and 100 K have been shown. At room temperature, the packaged LNA exhibits a flat gain more than 26 dB from 7 to 11 GHz with less than 1 dB noise figure at room temperature. The input and output return losses are better than −20 and −10 dB, respectively, between 7.5 and 8.5 GHz. It exhibits linear response with output 1 dB compression point of 1 dBm. MMIC dimension has been limited to 1.5 mm×1 mm. Off-chip inductance in the form of a modelled bondwire has been used to attain the improved input return loss and noise matching. Two figure-of-merits have been proposed and justified, and a comparative study of the overall performances of X-band LNAs with emerging technologies has been made. At 100 K, the LNA shows major improvement of the input and output return losses.

On the Recovery Time of Highly Robust Low-Noise Amplifiers

Recently, GaN-based low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) were shown to provide high ruggedness together with low noise figure. Since no limiter is required to protect the input, these LNAs allow for simplified receiver architectures. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the recovery time of a highly rugged LNA. Recovery time is measured in the time domain, and an analytical approximation is developed that allows to estimate and optimize recovery. A new measurement setup is established in order to determine the impact of the overdrive pulse on LNA gain. An X-band LNA is shown as an example. It survives input overdrive powers of up to 46 dBm under pulsed and 40 dBm under continuous wave conditions, with a noise figure of 2.8 dB. Extremely short recovery times below were simulated and measured.

A Low-Power,$X$-Band SiGe HBT Low-Noise Amplifier for Near-Space Radar Applications

A low-power, X-band low-noise amplifier (LNA) is presented. Implemented with 180 GHz silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), the circuit occupies 780times660 mum <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> . The LNA exhibits a gain of 11.0 dB at 9.5 GHz, a mean noise figure of 2.78 dB across X-band, and an input third-order intercept point of -9.1 dBm near 9.5 GHz, while dissipating only 2.5 mW. The low-power performance of this LNA, together with its natural total-dose radiation immunity, demonstrates the potential of SiGe HBT technology for near-space radar applications

Cost-effective high-performance monolithic X-band low-noise amplifiers

A low-cost, high-performance <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">X</tex> -band amplifier with ion-implanted MESFET technology has been demonstrated. Various design, material, and processing approaches have been evaluated in terms of yield, cost, and device performance. An average noise figure of 2.2 dB and a standard deviation of 0.1 dB, with an associated gain of 22.5 dB and a standard deviation of 0.8 dB at the center frequency band of 9.5 GHz, have been measured.

Production Technology for High-Yield, High-Performance GaAs Monolithic Amplifiers

A production technology for GaAs MMIC's has been developed. In a six-month period, seventy 2-in wafers have been processed for X-band monolithic power and low-noise amplifiers and more than 2000 working chips have been produced. The two-stage power amplifiers have achieved a typical performance of 1.6-w output power with 8-dB associated gain and 20-percent power-added efficiency at 9.5 GHz. The two-stage low-noise amplifiers have consistently achieved 3-dB noise figure with 20-dB associated gain at the same frequency. Improvement of MMIC processing technology implemented in this work has resulted in an average dc chip yield of 15 percent.