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A self-biased GaN LNA with 30 dB gain and 21 dBm P1dB for 5G communications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2022

Yi Wang Open the ORCID record for Yi Wang [Opens in a new window] ,
Tongde Huang ,
Saisai Jin ,
Chong Wang ,
Dongdong Ma ,
Hongchang Shen ,
Chong Li ,
Yuehua Li  and
Wen Wu
Yi Wang
Affiliation:
Ministerial Key Laboratory of JGMT, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Tongde Huang*
Affiliation:
Ministerial Key Laboratory of JGMT, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Saisai Jin
Affiliation:
Nanjing Guobo Electronics Co., Ltd, Nanjing 210000, China
Chong Wang
Affiliation:
Nanjing Guobo Electronics Co., Ltd, Nanjing 210000, China
Dongdong Ma
Affiliation:
Ministerial Key Laboratory of JGMT, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Hongchang Shen
Affiliation:
Nanjing Guobo Electronics Co., Ltd, Nanjing 210000, China
Chong Li
Affiliation:
James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
Yuehua Li
Affiliation:
Ministerial Key Laboratory of JGMT, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Wen Wu
Affiliation:
Ministerial Key Laboratory of JGMT, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
*
Author for correspondence: Tongde Huang, E-mail: tongdeh@njust.edu.cn
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Abstract

We present a self-biased three-stage GaN-based monolithic microwave integrated circuit low-noise amplifier (LNA) operating between 26 and 29 GHz for 5G mobile communications. The self-biasing circuit, common-source topology with inductive source feedback, and RLC negative feedback loops between gate and drain of the third transistor were implemented to achieve low noise, good port match, high stability, high gain, and compact size. Measurement results show that the LNA has a high and flat gain of 30.5 ± 0.4 dB with noise figure (NF) of 1.65–1.8 dB across the band. The three-stage topology also achieves high linearity, providing the 1 dB compression point output power (P1dB) of 21 dBm in the band. To our knowledge, this combination of NF, gain, and linearity performance represents the state of art of self-biased LNA in this frequency band.

Keywords

5G communicationsGallium nitride (GaN)low-noise amplifier (LNA)linearitymonolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC)single-power supply
Type
Low Noise Amplifiers
Information
International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , May 2023 , pp. 547 - 553
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with the European Microwave Association

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Footnotes

*

Yi Wang and Tongde Huang contribute equally to this work

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