On-wafer noise characterization of low-noise amplifiers in the Ka-band

This paper addresses a new experimental test set designed for on-wafer noise characterization of active two-port amplifiers in the Ka-band. We report on noise parameters obtained from the multiple impedance noise measurement technique on several microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) low-noise amplifiers. We have also compared it with the traditional method based on the Y-factor technique using conventional equipment. We conclude that, when inserted into a receiver, a low-noise amplifier will usually feature a noise performance worse than specified, but this can be calculated as long as the four noise parameters are known.