An X-band SiGe LNA with 1.36 dB mean noise figure for monolithic phased array transmit/receive radar modules

This paper presents an X-band silicon-germanium (SiGe) low-noise amplifier (LNA) for a monolithically integrated phased array transmit/receive (T/R) radar module. Implemented in a 200 GHz SiGe BiCMOS technology, the LNA occupies 730 /spl times/ 720 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ (including bondpads), and dissipates 15 mW from a 2.5 V power supply. The circuit exhibits a gain greater than 19 dB from 8.5 to 10.5 GHz, and a mean noise figure (NF) of 1.36 dB across X-band. At 10 GHz, the input 1-dB compression point (IP/sub 1-dB/) and the input third-order intercept point (IIP/sub 3/) are -10.0 dBm and 0.8 dBm, respectively. To our knowledge, this LNA achieves the lowest noise figure of any LNA in Si-based technology at X-band.