Monolithic Microwave Integrated
Circuit (MMIC) LNA designs:
theory and examples.
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
Outline
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28.11.07
MMIC Applications
Generic MMIC LNA Design procedure
MMIC LNA Design and results
Questions
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
MMIC vs MIC
FAQ: Should I use a hybrid (MIC) or an MMIC LNA in my
receiver?
•
The performance should be similar if the same transistors are used
and the MMIC has been correctly designed and optimized by
repeated runs
MMIC
28.11.07
MIC
Cheap in large quantities
Smaller semiconductor area
Precise repeatable circuits
Poorer reproducibility
Less parasitics – more bandwidth
and higher frequencies
Small quantities
Very small, complex arrays are
possible
Individual tuning feasible
High Q passive components can
be used
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
MMIC Applications
Military
Space
Civil
Phased-array radar
Astronomy
Satellite TVRO
Synthetic aperture radar
Radiometers
Mobile phone
Remote Sensing
Low Earth orbit mobile
systems
GPS
Decoys
Steerable phased arrays
RFID & tagging
Imaging
Remote sensing
Security
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
Practical LNA design for Radio Astronomy
sensitivity
noise temperature
• Cryogenic Cooling
• Passive component
•Substrates
•Capacitors
•Resistors
•Inductors
• Housing
62mm
Radio astronomy
70mm
~ 30 K
Radar systems
300 K
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
MMIC Integration
• Flip-chip MMIC mounted on HTS substrate
• Integrate with filters, couplers, matching sections etc. in
HTS
• Low noise and very compact
• Ideal for cryogenic multi-antenna systems
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
MMIC LNA Design Procedure
1. Get equivalent circuit model of transistor by manufacturer’s data or by S
parameter measurements followed by solving for small-signal parameters
HEMT model proposed by Dambrine et al *
* G. Dambrine, A. Cappy, F. Helidore and E. Palyez, A New Method for
Determining the FET Small-Signal Equivalent Circuit," IEEE Transactions
on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 36, no. 7, pp. 1151{1159, 1988.
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
2.
Obtain noise parameters of transistor by manufacturer’s data, by measurement
extraction / physics-based calculations
Noise equivalent small signal model showing associated temperatures*
*M. Pospieszalski, \Modeling of Noise Parameters of MESFET's and MODFET's and
Their Frequency and Temperature Dependence," IEEE Transactions on Microwave
Theory and Techniques”, vol. 37, no. 9, pp. 1340 - 1350,1989.
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
W = Nd· Wu
Nd = number of fingers
Wu = unit gate width
Si
Noise current at transistor output α W
F=
Signal current α W
Nd ↓
Wu ↑
Rg ↑
Nd ↑
Wu ↓
Rg ↓
So
Noise ↑
Ni
α
1
W
No
High W
Low Noise
W
28.11.07
Lower Noise
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
Vd = 2 V
W = 90 μm
Rgo ⋅ W
Low Nd Æ Rg most important role on NFmin
Rg =
High Nd Æ Rg and Cgs play a role on NFmin
C gs = C gso ⋅ W + N d ⋅ C gse
N d2
Gav lower when Nd higher because Cgs and Cgd higher
28.11.07
C gd = C gd o ⋅ W + N d ⋅ C gde
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
3.
The Гopt noise parameter leads to design of the input circuit to transform the
generator impedance to Zopt.
4.
Choose a first stage circuit topology and use CAD tools to determine output
impedance of first stage driven by Zopt.
Series Feedback
•Optimum noise impedance = input impedance
• Good input matching and low noise
• First stage
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
Multistage LNA design Æ Noise measure : M =
F −2
1 + 1 Gav
W = 90 μm Æ Nd = 6; Vg = -0.25 Volt Æ lowest Mmin
W = 300 μm Æ higher Nd (Rg)Æ lower Mmin
Mmin for W = 90 μm < Mmin for W = 300 μm
Rg ↑
Γopt and Γmin versus Nd (Number of fingers)
Design for Mmin equivalent to NFmin
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
5. Design following stages for maximum gain and stability. Terminate the transistor with
resistive loads at lower frequencies.
Parallel Feedback
• Increase the gain (+ve feedback)
• Flat gain
• To extend the bandwidth (-ve feedback reduced
gain)
• Good input and output matching
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
Noise match and power match usually occur at different
source impedances!
Solutions:
• Balanced amplifier
• Series feedback
• Isolator
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
* NorthropGrumman / Velocium
*WIN Semiconductors Corp
* OMMIC
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
OMMIC foundry processes
* Courtesy of OMMIC website www.ommic.com
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
MMIC LNA Design
•LNA designs using
foundry libraries and
CAD software
•ADS
•Microwave Office
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
Fabricated LNA and simulation
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
On-wafer results
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
LNA Cooled Measurements
Numerous temperature cycles
100 % success rate on cooling
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
Noise temperature
40
Ga in
NT
NT K / Gain dB
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Frequency GHz
“hot / cold load” method
TLNA
28.11.07
33
34
35
36
Thot − YTcold
=
Y −1
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
Wideband room temperature LNA with 14 K
noise temperature
LNA designed in 90nm CMOS
Frequency 0.8 – 1.4 GHz
Gain ~ 17 dB
Noise figure ~ 0.2 dB
* Leonid Belostotski University of Calgary
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle
All MMIC receiver front-end
28.11.07
Microwave and Communication Systems Research group
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Dr Danielle Kettle