CMOS LNA and mixer components for 2GHz applications

This paper presents a low noise variable gain amplifier (LNA) and a mixer for a W-CDMA frontend receiver in 0.18-μm CMOS. The LNA provides a 50Ω input impedance and utilizes a tuned load to provide high selectivity. The LNA achieves a maximum small signal gain of 16.8 dB within 1-dB compression point of -9.5 dBm. In the high gain mode (HGM) and the low gain mode (LGM), the NFs are 0.83 dB and 2.8 dB with input return loss of -9.5 dB and -7.5 dB, respectively. In the linearity response, the LNA's IIP3 in the HGM and the LGM are 2.1 dBm and 4.3 dBm, respectively. The mixer achieves a conversion gain of 16 dB and a double side band (DSB) NF of 13.8 dB at 12 MHz output frequency. The mixer's IIP3 is 12.12 dBm. The LNA and the mixer, respectively, consume 4 mA and 5 mA of current from a 1.8-V power supply.