Low-Noise Amplifier Design and S-Parameter Analysis in Advanced CMOS Technologies for Modern Communication Systems

The LNA is an integral block of RF and communication systems for amplification of low-level signals with minimum noise such that the SNR is within acceptable limits. This work presents the cascode LNA design with inductive degeneration optimized and analyzed for state-of-the-art communication systems with innovative circuit-level modifications to improve noise performance and linearity, responding to the specific requirements of next-generation wireless devices. The LNA is implemented and analyzed in Cadence Virtuoso using the 45nm CMOS technology node for performance enhancements over conventional designs. Among the important modifications are inductive degeneration optimization; it involves tuning the inductor values for a compromise between noise suppression and gain bandwidth. Other modifications include active biasing to stabilize the operating point, keeping the amplifier in the linear region, providing improved performance, and reduced distortion. The S-parameters are analyzed through simulation, involving frequency response, gain compression (1 dB point), impedance matching, and stability analysis. The simulation results indicate gains in excess of -20 dB, less than -15 dB, some impressive noise performance, and representing viable device performance levels for the current communication systems. Thus, the proposed design versus the tunable LNA model and CMOS low-noise amplifier with source degeneration model proves that it serves a higher performance level-ranged design with less noise figure, improved linearity, and stability for a wireless communication device next.