CMOS dual-wideband low-noise amplifier in 3.1GHz-4.9GHz and 6.0GHz-10.3GHz for ultra-wideband wireless receiver

(1)

CMOS Dual-Wideband Low-Noise Amplifier in

3.1 GHz-4.9GHz and 6.0GHz-

10.3GHz for

Ultra-Wideband Wireless

Receiver

Zhe-Yang

Huang',

Che-ChengHuang2, Chun-Chieh Chen3 and Chung-Chih

Hung'

Dept. of Communication Engineering,National Chiao Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

2InstrumentTechnology ResearchCenter, NARL,Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

3Dept.of Electronic Engineering, ChungYuanChristianUniversity, Chung-Li, Taiwan

Abstract-Inthis paper aCMOS dual-wideband low- GROUPA GROUPB GROUPC GROUPD

noise amplifier (LNA) is designed for ultra-wideband , Bad Bad Bad

B-d

Bad Bad Bad Bad Band Band Band Band Band (UWB) wireless receiver radio system. The design consists #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13

of a wideband input impedance matching network, two

stage cascode amplifiers with shunt-peaked load, a notch

34236-4851

8863 8479 9084 9690 03 filter and an output buffer for measurement purpose. It is MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz MHz simulated in TSMC 0.18um standard RF CMOS process.

The LNA gives 13.66dB maximum power gain between Fig.1 (a)Groups of MB-OFDM 3.OGHz-4.9GHz and 10.34dB maximum power gain

between 6.OGHz-10.3GHz while consuming 24.07mW Low Band High Band

through a 1.8V supply. Over the 3.IGHz-4.9GHz l== ..========= frequency band and the6.0GHz-10.3GHz, a minimum noise

figure is 2.6dB and 3.8dB. Input return loss lower than

-8.31dB in all bandwidth have been achieved.

35 6 0 1 lo I

Index Term - RFIC, Ultra-Wideband, UWB, Notch 67891011 z4 6 0

Filter,LNA and Low-Noise Amplifier. Fig.I(b)LowBand andHighBandofDS-UWB

I. INTRODUCTION Thispaper is focused onthe designandimplementation

of dual-wideband systems which avoids theU-NII band

Since the approval of the ultra-wideband (UWB) and coexists with MB-OFDM and DS-UWB radio

radio technology for lowpowerwireless communication

systems.

The dual-wideband low-noise

amplifier

for

application

_{app cat1n}in

February,

_{1nFeruar, Z}2002,

[1]

UWB_UWo systems_sytemslashas ultra-wideband_{Standard RF CMOS Process.}receiver is

implemented

in a

0.1

8um become an increasingly popular technology which is

capable of transmitting data over a wide spectrum of

frequency with very low power and high data rate. II. DESIGN OFULTRA-WIDEBANDLNA Although theIEEE UWBstandard (IEEE 802.15.3a [2])

has not been completely defined, two major proposed The

proposed

low-noise

amplifier

is shownin

Fig.2

solutions, MB-OFDM andDS-UWB, are all allowedto which consists of wideband

input impedance matching

transmit in a band between 3.IGHz-10.5GHz and networks, two stages cascode amplifier with shunt-3.1GGHz-9.6GHz. The 1st generation device in peaked

load,

a notch filter and an output buffer. The commercial

applications

for ultra-wideband radio

constituent

of widebandmatchingnetworksareinductors systemswhich shows inFig.I(a)andFig.I(b). The band _Li, _{L2 and} _Ls _and _{transistor Ml. First stage}g _cascoded definition ofMB-OFDMis illustrated inFig.1 (a) which

amplifier

are transistors Mi and M2 with

shunt-peaked

extended from 3168MHz to 10296MHz and the band load consists of inductors

Lloadl,

Roadi,

and the second definition ofDS-UWB are from 3100OMHz to 4900MHz stage cascoded

amplifier

are

transistors

M3 andM4

with

and 6000MHz to 9700MHz. The bandwidth of MB-

shunt-peaked

load

consists

of

inductor

Lload2 and Rload2. OFDM is

containing Group-A, Group-C

and

Group-D.

The notch filter is between first

stage

and second

stage

The Group-B is not considered incurrent UWB system

amplifier.

Acommon-drain

amplifier

is a

good

choice of which caused

by

the U-NII band and WLAN

(IEEE

wideband output

impedance

matching for measurement 802.1la). Thebandwidth of DS-UWB is with Low-Band purpose

andHigh-Bandwhich is inFig.1(b).

418

(2)

L.di Ljd2 Lloadl X

R.cdi Rloa2 RI..dl

L &<LL G I M2 Rs Ccc Lg9 RFu

-CcL

C

~~~~~~~~vL~

~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~L

VBIAI(ES VASM(

RFX,

YL5

v"T

-

TVu

Fig.2ProposedLow-NoiseAmplifierfor UWB System Fig.3CascodeAmplifierwith Shunt-Peaked Load

A. Wideband

Input Impedance Matching

A

gi

S2

RLI

+

SLLL

(5)

LI

sCLL

+

sCLL

+1

Wideband input impedance matching is a tough design Li Li Li Li challenge in ultra-wideband system. Some excellent

wideband input impedance matching solutions are Amplifier with shunt-peaking load, the power gain and proposed in

[3].

Equation (1) is the parallel LC-tank in the bandwidth is determined by the resistance of load, RF signals input path which resonates a centred where the resistance is small then the quality factor (Q) frequency fri shows in equation (2) where Li is the is high and on the contrary the quality factor is low. The inductor at bias and CLI is the parasitic capacitors. higher quality factor makes higher power gain but Inductive source degeneration also resonate a centred narrower bandwidth, the lower quality factor makes frequency fr2 which are equations (3) and (4) where Lg is lower power gain but wider bandwidth which shows in the gateinductor, Ls is the source inductor and the Cgsi is Fig. 4.

the gate-sourceparasitic capacitor in transistor Mi. The

wideband input impedance matching is composed of H 0

thesetwocentredfrequencies fri and fr2.

Z1

=

sL1

1|

_SCLi

-.

=I

S21

(1)

Low

1+2ICLiLo0

frI

(2)

2zf

LiCLI

Fig. 4 Power Gainand BandwidthV.SQuality Factor

1 g

~

1

SLg

+ + C L

SLg

+ C +

CTLS

(3) C.

WidebandAmplifier

Design

sgsl

_g1

cgsl

gcsi

i gsi g Wide bandwidthamplifier is shown in Fig. 5 which

1 _ (4) consists oftwo stages of shunt-peaked amplifiers. The

2f L g power gain is not

good

enough

when the bandwidth is

widetoreach whole bandwidth of the single stage shunt-peakedamplifier. Therefore, two stages ofshunt-peaked B. Shunt-PeakedAmplifier amplifiers could achieve higher power gain and wider

bandwidth. The cascoded

shunt-peaked amplifier

is easy to

reach wide bandwidth which shown in Fig. 3. Cascoded

L1.dl

L1.d2 amplifier eliminates the Miller effect on input transistor

to achieve high-frequency performance. Voltage gain

RI1.dl

Ri1ad2

ALi is a band-pass filter type which is expressed in

equation (5). M2 M4 Lg CDC -1 L MI M3 RB -Ls _VBIAS

Fig. 5 Wide Bandwidth Amplifier

(3)

The first stage shunt-peaked amplifier is providing the (S11/S22) are lower than -8.31dB/-11.47dB between power gain of lower frequency, and the second stage 3.1GHz to 4.9GHz, respectively. The power gain shunt-peaked amplifier is providing the power gain of whose peak value is 15.65dB at 4.8GHz which covers the higher frequency, which are the blue lines in Fig. 6. the Group-A for MB-OFDM and Low-Band for DS-And final power gain of the low-noise amplifier is the UWB, and is shown in Figure 10. In Fig. 11, it can be red line in Fig. 6 which is the result of two stage shun- seen that the noise figure is below 3.3dB between peaked amplifiersingain compensated. 3.1GHz to 4.9GHz and the minimum noise figure is 3.30dB at4.2GHz through 1.8V supply voltage. InFig. 12,the input-referred1dBcompressionpoint (IPldB) is -27dBm at 4.0GHz. In Figure 9 that can be seenthat the

input/output

return loss

(S 1/S22)

are lower than

-9.50dB/-9.95dB between 6.0GHz to 10.3GHz, _______________________________________ respectively. The power gain whose peak value is 11.55dB at 9.0GHz which covers the Group-C and Fig.6GainCompensated of Two Stages Amplifiers Group-D for MB-OFDM and High-Band for DS-UWB, and the powergain areshowninFigure 10. InFig. 11, it D. Notch Filter Design canbe seenthat the noisefigureis below6.1dBbetween 6.0GHz to 10.3GHz and the minimum noise figure is There are some signals which are larger than UWB 3.80dB at 6.8GHz through 1.8V supply voltage. InFig. signals in U-NII band, such as WLAN (IEEE 802.11a), 12, theinput-referred1dBcompression point (IPldB)is -and dodging these large interferences is very 22dBm at 8.5GHz. The IIP3 performance is not indispensable. A notch filter is proposed in dual- presented in thispaperbecause the UWB system uses a wideband low-noise amplifier which is located among very wide bandwidth and there is no specified first stage amplifier and second stage amplifier shown in fundamental frequency. Therefore, it does not have Fig. 7. This is a LC-tank series in RF signal path, the meaningto discuss carrier interference with its harmonic impedance is declared in equation (6) and the centred frequency. Thepowerconsumptionis 24.07mWthrough frequency fN is expressed in equation (7). The centred 1.8V supply voltagewhichneglectsthepower ofoutput frequency fN is design at 5.5GHz to reject the buffer.

interference from 5.1GHz to 5.9GHz, and the final power 2

gain is shown in Fig.8. The green line is the final power

od

B---

---1---)I----)----

dBS(2.2)

whichrejects 5.1GHz to 5.9GHz. -2

X----

dB(S(2

2))-C:N ,,qj ff

Co

-18--Fig. 7 Notch Filter among First and Second Stage Amplifier F< -2o- ^@:

_12 _---r--- n---m--s--- ---- -r

----ZN = PSLN 11

(6)

SLN

-2-

4

I-1

SCN 1+S2LNCN

O020

2 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00

1 Frequency

2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~(7) Fig.9 Input Return Loss (SlI) & Output Return Loss (S22)

JN2f LNC 20 dB 2,

15 -

-Fig. 8PowerGain Caused by Notch Filter -.I' .

---.---<.---.---24---III. SIMULATIONRESULTS

-0-0.0 2.OG 4.0G 6OG 8.OG 8OG 12.OG 140OG 162.OG 18OG

The simulation results of the proposed dual- Frequency

wideband UWB LNA using Agilent ADS 2005A Fig. 10 Power Gain (S21) simulator are given in Figure 9 to Figure 12. In Figure 9

that can be seen that the input/output return loss

(4)

2 2-I-u-NFmin IV. CONCLUSIONS

20 ---- .f(--- 2)

--- ---wideband system for 3.1-4.9GHz and6.GHz-10.3GHz.

S 14- t

.---,---.---The

simulation results show that the proposed LNA

---

bandwidth

10.34dB power gain for 6.0-10.3GHz. 2.4GHz 3dB

(2.9 -

5.14GHz)

and

4.5GHz

3dB bandwidth

Z --- (6.0 --10.5 GH) while consuming 24.07mW through

0.0 2.00 4.00 6OG 8.00 10.00 12.00 ACKNOWLEDGMENT Frequency

Theauthors

would like

to

thank the chip implementatLon

line-- ---

gives1366dBcenter

(CIC)for technical support.

_-F-FOutput

- REFERENCES

20- --- . --- [-1-] FCC,-FinalRule of the FederalCommunicationsCommission, 47

30:

CFR Part 15,Sec. 503", Federal Register, vol. 67,no. 95,May 2002.

F y[3] Andrea Bevilacqua, and Ali M. Niknejad," An Ultrawideband

Fig.I I CMOS Low-Noise Amplifier for 3.1-10.6-GHz Wireless

lineReceivers",IEEEJOURNALOF SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS, Vol.39,

60- No.12,pp.2259-2268,Dec 2004.

060 - 50 - 40 - 30 - 20 - 10 0

InputPower(dEm) [4] Chang-Wan Kim, Min-Suk Kang, Phan TuanAnlh,Hoon-Tae Kim, Fig. 12 Input-Referred1dBCompressionFPoint and Sang-Gug Lee, 'An Ultra-Wideband CMOS Low Noise Amplifier for 3-5-GHz UWB System", IEEE JOURNTAL OF SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS, Vol. 40, No. 2,pp.544-547, Feb. 2005. 3.1-4.9GHz 6.0-10.3GHz [5] Chang, C.-P.;Chuang, H.-R., 0.18 um 3-6 GHz CMOS broadband

Sl1(dB) <-8.31 <-9.50 LNA for UWB radio", Electronics Letters, Volume 41, Issue S22 (dB) < -11.47 < -9.95 12, June 2005 Page(s):33 - 34.

S21 (dB) 12.15-15.65 |8.95-11.55 [6] Yang-ChaunChen; Chien-Nan Kuo, "A 6-10-GHz ultra-wideband S21 Max. (dB) 15.65 |C11.55 tunable LNA", Circuits and Systems, 2005. ISCAS 2005. IEEE I ~~~~~~InternationalSymposium on, 23-26 May 2005 Page(s):5099 - 5102 WorkingBandwidth (GHz) 3.1 -4.9 6.0-10.3 Vol.5.

3dBBandwidth (GHz) 2.95.1 6.010.52

NE (dB) 2.6 -3.3 | 3.8 6.1 [7] Chih-F aLiao;n Shen-duan Liu, "A broadband noise-canceling ---CMOS LNA for 3. 1-10.6-GHz UWB receiver, Custom Integrated

IPldB (dBm) -27 -22 CircuitsConference, 2005. Proceedings of theIEEE 2005, 18-21

IIP3(dBm)[lOMHNoz] -18 -12 Sept. 2005Page(s):161-164. Power Consumption (mW) | 24.07

Table. 1PerformanceComparisons

Paper CircuitTopology Technology 51Sl(dB) |S22(dB) |S21(dB) BW(GHZ) Gmax(dB) tNF(dB) |NFmin(dB) |Pdiss(mW)

[4] resistive feedback 0.18umSCMOS <-9 <V-10 6.8-9.8 2.0-4.6 9.8 2.3-5.2 2.3 12.6 [5] 3-stages comm.-source 0.18umCMOS <-12.2

<3-10.1

13.5-15.8 3.0-6.0 15.76 4.7-6.7 4.7 59.4 [6] TunableLC-ta<k0. 8um CMOS <-9 < -12 10.0-11.6 6.0-10.0 11.6 4.2-5.3 4.2 11.6 [7] 3-stages shunt-peaked 0.18umCMOS <7 <-12 6.7-9.7 1.2-11.9 9.7 4.5-5.1 4.5 20.0 3-4.9GHz 2-stages shunt-peaked <-8.3 <-11.5 12.2-15.7 2.9-5.1 13.66 2.6-3.3 2.6

(Thiswork) with 0.18umCMOS <-9.5 <-9.9 9.0-11.6 6.0-10.5 10.34 3.8-6.1 24.1

6-10.3G notch filter

Table.2 Comparisonof the Proposed UWB LNA with Other ReportedWidebandLNA