Performance-Balanced-Noise-Canceling-Low-Noise-Amplifier

📌 Overview

This project focuses on the design and analysis of CMOS Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) for RF applications using Cadence Virtuoso (SCL 180nm technology).

Multiple LNA architectures were explored to understand trade-offs between gain, noise figure, linearity, and stability, followed by optimization of a final design suitable for 2.4 GHz operation.

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🎯 Objectives

• Design and compare multiple LNA architectures
• Improve noise performance using noise-canceling techniques
• Achieve good input/output matching (S11, S22 < -10 dB)
• Ensure RF stability (K > 1, μ > 1)
• Optimize gain-linearity trade-off

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🧠 Architectures Explored

• CG-CS Noise Cancelling UWB LNA (3–10 GHz)
• Cascode LNA
• Folded Cascode LNA
• Optimized Folded Cascode LNA ✅ (Final Design)

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🧩 Final Design Approach

The folded cascode topology was selected and optimized due to its:

• Better linearity compared to simple cascode
• Improved stability
• Balanced gain and noise performance

Further improvements included:

• Device sizing optimization
• Bias tuning
• Matching network refinement

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📊 Final Results (2.4 GHz)

Parameter	Value
Gain (S21)	16.26 dB
S11	-19.40 dB
S22	-10 dB
S12	-36.71 dB
Noise Figure	~1.1 dB
IIP1dB	-12.35 dBm
P1dB (Output)	2.87 dBm
IIP3	-5.27 dBm
OIP3	10.98 dBm
Stability (K)	4.7 (>1)

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📈 Key Waveforms (Final Design)

S-Parameters

Noise Figure

Linearity

Stability

👉 Full waveform set available in /2_Waveforms

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🧩 Circuit Schematics

Final Optimized Design

👉 Other architectures available in /1_Schematics

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🏗️ Layout Implementation

• Device matching and common-centroid techniques used
• Custom square spiral inductor designed (PDK limitation)

Status:

• Preliminary DRC/LVS checks completed
• Post-layout extraction in progress

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📊 Architecture Comparison

🔍 Insights

• Cascode → High gain but unstable
• Folded Cascode → Better linearity
• CG-CS → Wideband, lower gain
• Optimized Folded Cascode → Best overall trade-off ✅

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🚀 Key Contributions

• Designed and compared 4 LNA architectures
• Implemented noise-canceling technique
• Achieved strong input matching (S11 < -19 dB)
• Ensured unconditional stability (K = 4.7)
• Performed layout with matching techniques
• Identified and handled real-world PDK limitations

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🛠 Tools Used

• Cadence Virtuoso
• Spectre RF

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📌 Project Status

📍 In progress toward tapeout (awaiting inductor PDK for final verification)