A Compact V-Band Temperature Compensation Low-Noise Amplifier in a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS Process

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Microwave Engineering
• Semiconductor Device Physics

Background:

• Low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) are critical components in radio frequency (RF) systems, requiring stable performance across varying environmental conditions.
• Temperature variations can significantly degrade LNA performance, impacting gain, noise figure, and linearity.
• Existing LNAs often struggle to maintain consistent performance over wide operational temperature ranges, necessitating robust thermal management solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a compact V-band low-noise amplifier (LNA) with enhanced temperature robustness.
• To broaden the operational bandwidth of the LNA through innovative circuit design techniques.
• To evaluate the LNA's performance characteristics, including gain, noise figure, and power consumption, across a wide temperature spectrum.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS process for the LNA fabrication.
• Utilization of a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) bias circuit for adaptive current generation and temperature compensation.
• Employing a T-type inductive network to create two dominant poles for bandwidth enhancement.

Main Results:

• The LNA prototype achieved a gain variation of less than 1.5 dB across the 40-65 GHz frequency range and -55 °C to 85 °C temperature range.
• Measured peak gains were 25.5 dB at -55 °C, 25 dB at 25 °C, and 24.4 dB at 85 °C.
• Minimum noise figures (NF) ranged from 3.0 dB to 4.2 dB, with DC power consumption between 22.3 mW and 34.4 mW, and a compact silicon area of 0.37 mm².

Conclusions:

• The developed V-band LNA demonstrates excellent temperature stability and wide bandwidth, attributed to the integrated temperature compensation circuit and T-type inductive network.
• The compact design and robust performance make this LNA suitable for various V-band applications requiring reliable operation under diverse thermal conditions.
• This work contributes a highly stable and efficient LNA solution for next-generation RF and communication systems operating in challenging environments.