Novel Design Charts for Optimum Source Degeneration Tradeoff in Conjugately Matched Multistage Low-Noise Amplifiers

Source degenerative feedback is extensively applied in the low-noise amplifier design. The beneficial effects of this technique are well established in the open literature. However, the designer is often left to trial-and-error or optimization procedures to identify the adequate amount of feedback when other linear requirements, such as signal matching, come into play. This issue is even more relevant in multistage designs. In this article, we present a synthesis procedure and the relevant design chart to identify the optimum feedback inductor value on all transistors of an N-stage amplifier to obtain a perfect match at its external ports in conjunction with amplifier noise figure minimization and a specified gain requirement. It is shown that the method is applicable to arbitrary N values although it becomes more elaborate for N greater than 6. The method is deterministic as opposed to optimization or trial-and-error-based procedures. The design flow is illustrated at first through a four-stage design with ideal matching elements and subsequently validated by an monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) test vehicle designed and realized in the WIN foundry's Gallium Arsenide PIH1-10 process. The measured performance of the test vehicle is NF = 1.9 dB, 26 dB gain, typical I/O return loss of 15 dB in the 26.5-29.5-GHz bandwidth, and practically ideal behavior at the design frequency of 28 GHz.