Design and Analysis of 2.4 to 3.5 GHz Low-Noise Amplifier for Sub-6 Cellular LTE/5G NR Application Using CMOS 110 nm SOI Process Technology

The proposed article provides the design, analysis of low-noise amplifier (LNA) for sub-6 cellular LTE/5G NR application (Comer DJ and Comer DT, IEEE Trans Circuits Syst 51(I):8–14, 2004; Mou et al., in IEEE Trans Circuits Syst 52:784–788, 2005; Liao and Chuang in IEEE Microwave Wirel Compon Lett 13:526–528, 2003) programs operating in the 2.4–3.5 GHz frequency band using CMOS 110 nm SOI process technology. In this article, the choice of the cascode inductive source degeneration topology for the LNA design is based on its ability to offer high gain, a low-noise figure and exceptional linearity, as previously mentioned. The main focus of this research is to decrease the noise factor while simultaneously enhancing power gain, all while operating at a lower power consumption level compared to prior outcomes under a 1.2 V power supply. Low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) are of paramount importance in receiver systems due to the inherently weak nature of incoming signals, which are vulnerable to interference from environmental noise. The primary objective of LNAs is to achieve superior performance while operating at lower voltage levels. This is accomplished by amplifying the received signal and optimizing both gain and noise figure, which are distinctive characteristics of the LNA design. The comprehensive analysis of this amplifier predominantly revolves around evaluating various factors, including noise figure, forward gain, impedance matching, stability, return loss and linearity. Cadence virtuoso tool is used for design, simulation and optimization. The LNA has achieved a gain exceeding 20 dB while maintaining a noise figure of approximately 1.5 dB. In terms of stability, it exhibits unconditional stability across the entire frequency range from 0 GHz up to fmax, aligning with established RF design principles. It’s important to note that the LNA is designed to operate at a supply voltage of 1.2 V and utilizes an operational current of 9.5 milliamps. Additionally, the third-order intercept point stands at 4 dBm, and the LNA is tailored for a source and load impedance of 50 Ω.