LNFET device with 325/475GHz $f_{\mathrm{T}}/f_{\text{MAX}}$ and 0.47dB NFMIN at 20GHz for SATCOM applications in 45nm PDSOI CMOS

Abstract

An experimental low noise FET (LNFET) device is presented in this paper with $f_{\mathrm{T}}/f_{\text{MAX}}$ of 325/475GHz. To authors' knowledge, this is the highest reported $f_{\text{MAX}}$ for a CMOS device. The device was demonstrated on a 45 nm partially depleted Silicon on insulator (PDSOI) CMOS wafer for low noise amplifier (LNA) design. The device has been developed for Ku/K/Ka-band applications in SATCOM (satellite communications) RF transceiver. It shows $\sim 0.26/0.47/0.60\ \text{dB}$ NFMIN and $\sim 20.1/17.8/16.6\ \text{dB}\ \text{MSG}$ at 12 / 20 / 26 GHz respectively. LNA reference circuits at 12GHz and 20GHz were designed using this device with an inductively degenerated source cascode. Measured data from the circuits show NF of $\sim 0.82\text{dB}$ at 12GHz and $\sim 1.23\text{dB}$ at 20GHz with 15.2dB and 12.3dB gain respectively. Measured NF is the lowest amongst recent silicon-based designs in these frequency bands.