Fully integrated LNA & antenna for ultra-low noise figure receivers

A simple, inexpensive, fully integrated low-noise amplifier and antenna for the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) Mid-Frequency Aperture Array (MFAA) is presented which achieves a receiver noise figure of about 0.4 dB over more than an octave bandwidth. A novel design technique was used which makes it easy to match the antenna directly to the first amplification transistors, without using an impedance matching circuit, thereby achieving a noise figure close to the minimum noise figure of the transistors used. The receiver also demonstrates how a single-ended amplifier with a floating ground can be used for a differential, planar antenna, by using a balun on the output of the amplifier. These receivers can be used stand-alone in a sparce, irregular array or closely packed in a dense, regular array or in a mixed system, making it possible to investigate various array configurations for the SKA MFAA.