A 5.2-GHz LNA in 0.35-μm CMOS utilizing inter-stage series resonance and optimizing the substrate resistance

A current-reused two-stage low-noise amplifier (LNA) topology is proposed, which adopts a series inter-stage resonance and optimized substrate resistance of individual transistors. The characteristics of the series inter-stage resonance in gain enhancement are analyzed and compared with other alternatives. The contradicting effects of substrate resistance on common-source and common-gate amplifiers are analyzed and proposed guidelines for high-gain operation. The LNA is implemented based on a 0.35-μm CMOS technology for 5.2-GHz wireless LAN applications. Measurements show 19.3dB of power gain, 2.45 dB of noise figure, and 13.2 dBm of output IP3, respectively, for the dc power supply of 8 mA and 3.3 V.