Microwave CMOS traveling wave amplifiers: performance and temperature effects

A monolithically integrated five-stage traveling wave amplifier (TWA) with a single n-MOSFET in each gain cell was designed, fabricated and tested in low-cost, standard 0.18 (mu)m CMOS technology. Coplanar waveguides (CPW) replace the large area spiral inductors or coplanar strip-lines. A gain of 10 dB at 1 GHz and a unity-gain bandwidth of 12 GHz was measured for the TWA at a gate bias of V/sub GS/=1.2 V and a drain bias of V/sub DS/=1.8 V. The effects of temperature on its gain, phase and stability have been investigated, and are reported for the first time for a CMOS TWA.