Single-Input Multiple-Output (SIMO) Cascode Low-Noise Amplifier with Switchable Degeneration Inductor for Carrier...

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Integrated Circuit Design
• Wireless Communication

Background:

• Carrier aggregation (CA) is crucial for enhancing mobile communication data rates.
• Existing low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) face gain variations during inter- and intra-band CA operations.
• Dynamic range control in receiver systems is a critical challenge for efficient CA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel single-input multiple-output (SIMO) cascode LNA with inductive degeneration.
• To address gain variations in inter- and intra-band CA using a proposed switching circuit.
• To optimize LNA performance for flexible carrier aggregation combinations (e.g., band 30 and band 7).

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of a SIMO cascode LNA using a 65 nm CMOS process.
• Implementation of a switching circuit to dynamically adjust the degeneration inductor.
• Characterization of the LNA's gain, noise figure, IIP3, and power consumption in different CA modes.

Main Results:

• Achieved small-signal gains of 18.9 dB (band 30) and 18.6 dB (band 7) in inter-band operation.
• Obtained noise figures of 1.03 dB (band 30) and 1.07 dB (band 7) in inter-band operation.
• Demonstrated competitive IIP3 and power consumption figures across inter- and intra-band operations.

Conclusions:

• The proposed SIMO cascode LNA effectively compensates for gain variations in CA.
• The integrated switching circuit minimizes dynamic range control requirements for receiver systems.
• The fabricated LNA demonstrates suitability for advanced wireless communication systems employing carrier aggregation.