4.8-7.2 GHz Low-power Balun-LNA Employing Local Feedback g<sub>m</sub>-boosting and Current-bleeding Techniques for Wi-Fi 802.11be Applications

A 4.8-7.2 GHz low-power noise-cancelling common-gate (CG)-common-source (CS) balun-low-noise amplifier (LNA) is proposed for IEEE 802.11be Wi-Fi applications. The CS amplifier enhances g_m by utilizing a current-reused inverter-type amplifier while simultaneously performing a current-bleeding function through a PMOS amplifier. This ensures equal DC currents at the differential output, enabling the use of a balanced load. Additionally, local feedback increases the overall g_m of the CG stage by the loop gain, thereby reducing both current consumption and supply voltage requirements. Furthermore, the cross-coupled cascode stage acts as a differential current balancer, mitigating gain and phase mismatches at the differential output. Simulated in a 28-nm CMOS process, the designed balun-LNA achieves a minimum noise figure of 2.74 dB, a maximum voltage gain of 24.6 dB, and input-referred third-order intercept point of −4.84 dBm. It consumes 3.5 mA from a nominal supply voltage of 0.8 V. Its active die area is 0.079 mm².