[paper] Novel Design and Optimization and the gm/ID Ratio

A Novel Design and Optimization Approach for Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA) Based on MOST Scattering Parameters and the gm/ID Ratio

Juan L. Castagnola¹*, Fortunato C. Dualibe² Agustín M. Laprovitta¹ and Hugo García-Vázquez³

¹Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Córdoba 5017 (AN)

²Service d’Électronique et Microélectronique, Université de Mons (UMONS), 7000 Mons (BE)

³Departamento de Electrónica, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), 38200 La Laguna (SP)

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Electronics 2020, 9(5), 785; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics9050785

Received: 31 March 2020 / Revised: 30 April 2020 

Accepted: 9 May 2020 / Published: 11 May 2020

Abstract - This work presents a new design methodology for radio frequency (RF) integrated circuits based on a unified analysis of the scattering parameters of the circuit and the gm/ID ratio of the involved transistors. Since the scattering parameters of the circuits are parameterized by means of the physical characteristics of transistors, designers can optimize transistor size and biasing to comply with the circuit specifications given in terms of S-parameters. A complete design of a cascode low noise amplifier (LNA) in 65nm CMOS technology is taken as a case study in order to validate the approach. In addition, this methodology permits the identification of the best trade-off between the minimum noise figure and the maximum gain for the LNA in a very simple way.

Figure: gm/ID versus iD

Acknowledgement - This research was funded by Universidad Católica de Córdoba (Argentina), the Walloon Region DGO6 BEWARE Fellowships Academia Programme (1410164-POHAR, cofunded by the European Marie Curie Actions), the Belgian FNRS (Fond National pour la Recherche Scientifique) and the Argentinean MINCyT (Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología).