Si-CMOS MMICs for 2.4-GHz wireless front-end applications

摘要

This report describes the design and experimental results of a 1.8-V operation, Si-CMOS MMICs for 2.4-GHz-band short-range wireless front-end applications. These ICs contain a power amplifier (PA), a low-noise amplifier (LNA), and an antenna switch (SW), including almost all on-chip matching elements. The ICs were fabricated using a standard 0.18 μm bulk CMOS technology which has no extra process step to enhance RF performances and uses a low-resistivity substrate. In order to minimize the insertion loss of the SW and realize a higher gain of the PA and LNA, the gate-width for the SW was optimized and interdigital capacitors were applied to the PA and LNA. The performances of the fabricated ICs at 2.4 0Hz and 1.8 V are as follows: a 5-dBm transmit power, a 19-dB gain, an 18-mA operating current for the PA, a 1.5-dB insertion loss, more than 24-dB isolation, a power handling capability of 11 dBm for the SW, a 7.5-dB gain, a 4.5-dB noise figure, and an 8-mA operating current for the LNA.