A double active-decoupling technique for reducing package effects in a cognitive-radio balun-LNA

Package effects degrade the performances of high frequency circuits such as wideband low-noise amplifiers (LNAs). This paper describes an area-saving technique to improve the performance of a balun-LNA covering the range of 50 MHz to 10 GHz in the presence of package effects. A double active-decoupling technique based on a feedback inverter amplifier is proposed. Optimized in GP 65-nm CMOS, the new technique shows 2.3-dB maximum gain loss compensation, 6.6GHz bandwidth recovery for input matching, and 22-dB maximum noise filtering in both supply rails. The added active circuitry draws 16 mW from a single 1.2-V supply, and the required physical capacitor is reduced to 4 pF.