Optimization of millimeter wave single-ended low noise amplifier with inductive source degeneration

Abstract

In recent years, the demand for mobile communication network data has shown explosive growth, which has led to the rapid development of wireless communication systems. Due to the already crowded frequency bands below 6GHz, researchers have focused their research on higher frequency bands. Millimeter waves have received widespread attention due to their advantages of extremely wide available bandwidth and higher transmission rates. The constantly maturing RF CMOS technology makes it possible for millimeter wave integrated circuit chips to enter the market. Low noise amplifier is a key module in wireless communication systems. In order to meet the application requirements of millimeter wave communication systems for broadband and low power consumption, the performance indicators of low noise amplifier need to be further improved. The main work of this work is to design a millimeter wave broadband low-noise amplifier. This work first introduces the rise of millimeter wave communication systems, briefly describes the development direction and problems to be solved of millimeter wave broadband low noise amplifiers, and provides a detailed introduction to their latest domestic and international research progress. Then, the performance indicators and typical topology structures of low-noise amplifiers were summarized and organized. Finally, the schematic and layout design of millimeter wave broadband low-noise amplifier were introduced, and the post simulation results were presented. The millimeter wave broadband low-noise amplifier designed in this article is based on TSMC 65 nm CMOS technology and has a three-level structure. The post simulation results show that its 3dB gain bandwidth is 8.3 GHz (from 57.6-65.9 GHz), with a minimum noise figure of 5.59 dB and a maximum gain of 21.6 dB at 61.6 GHz. At a power supply voltage of 1.5 V, the DC power consumption is 16.8 mW. The design adopts transformer-based gate drain feedback technology to expand the bandwidth. The principle of this technology is to achieve peak gain at high frequencies, thereby obtaining broadband gain response.