Design and Implementation of a High-Gain Ku-Band Low Noise Amplifier

This paper presents a robust Ku-band low-noise amplifier (LNA) developed using GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT). The LNA employs a small signal equiva lent circuit model that exhibits significant small-signal and noise characteristics, as well as impressive linearity. The LNA is designed using <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$0.15~\mu\mathrm{m}$</tex> AlGaN/GaN process on the SiC sub starte. The design incorporates a careful selection of HEMT configurations and the use of simultaneous matching tech niques that maximizes the gains and minimizing noise figure (NF), input, output, and isolation losses simultaneously. The proposed LNA based on GaN HEMT design offers gain of 35 dB and 36 dB, respectively, at 12 GHz and 18 GHz, with ex tremely low noise figures of 1.1 dB and 1.26 dB. The return losses for both input and output over the complete band of operation are better than 15 dB. The proposed LNA can find potential applications in a space receiver.