Design and implementation of a 1.5- to 17-GHz SiGeUWB LNA utilizing multiple-feedback loops and inductive peaking technique

[[abstract]]In this paper, we demonstrate a 1.5- to 17-GHZ ultrawideband (UWB) low-noise amplifier (LNA) with small-inductance input inductor and multiple-feedback loops implemented in a 0.35 mu m 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 (S-21) of 8 +/- 0.5 dB was achieved for frequencies between 2 and 15 GHz. In addition, reverse isolation (S-12) lower than -27 dB, input return loss (S-11) and output return loss (S-22 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 X 710 mu m(2), excluding the test pads. This LNA drains 7 mA current at supply voltage of 3 V, i.e. it only cansumes 21 mW power. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.[[note]]SC