A GaAs Monolithic 6-GHz Low-Noise Amplifier for Satellite Receivers

A design approach and accurate modeling techniques have been developed to realize a GaAs monolithic, 6-GHz, two-stage, low-noise amplifier (LNA) with a measured 1.7-dB noise figure and associated 21-dB gain. This satellite-compatible, self-biased LNA design, with chip dimensions of 80 x 135 mil, utilizes an ion-implantation FET model which predicts measured in-band amplifier gain to within 0.5 dB and peak frequency response to within 4 percent. The derived noise parameter estimation process, which uses a Gaussian elimination technique to predict the measured noise figure to within 0.2 dB, reduces a set of complex binomial equations to simple relationships which are easily programmable. A deep-recessed gate realization of this LNA design demonstrates that LNA low-noise performance is achievable under FET saturated drain current conditions.