DC Power-Optimized <i>Ka</i>-Band GaN-on-Si Low-Noise Amplifier With 1.5 dB Noise Figure
Lorenzo Pace, Patrick E. Longhi, Walter Ciccognani, Sergio Colangeli, Francesco Vitulli, F. Deborgies, Ernesto Limiti
Abstract
A <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Ka</i> -band low-noise amplifier for low-consumption robust receivers is presented in this letter. The monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) is designed on a 100 nm GaN-on-Si technology provided by OMMIC foundry and decibel gain, average noise figure (NF) of 1.5 dB, with input–output return losses better than 15 dB in the whole 27–31 GHz design band. Large signal measurements show a OP <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1 dBcp</sub> of +16 dBm and survivability to RF input power verified up to +25 dBm without showing critical degradation. These performances have been achieved with only 150 mW dc power consumption in linear operating condition, 30% less than other <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Ka</i> -band GaN LNAs published in the open literature.