A 27 GHz fully integrated CMOS distributed amplifier using coplanar waveguides

This paper reports a CMOS distributed amplifier which operates from 1-27 GHz. This amplifier exhibits a measured gain of 6 dB and uses coplanar waveguides to implement required inductances. Power consumption is 68.1 mW while driven from a 3.3V supply but it can operate with supply voltages as low as 1.8V. Chip area is 1.8 /spl times/ 0.9 mm. To the author's knowledge this is the fastest frequency of operation ever reported for a distributed amplifier implemented in a standard CMOS technology.