On the Design of Wideband Transformer-Based Fourth Order Matching Networks for E-Band Receivers in 28-nm CMOS

This paper discusses the design of on-chip transformer-based fourth order filters, suitable for mm-Wave highly sensitive broadband low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) and receivers (RXs) implemented in deep-scaled CMOS. Second order effects due to layout parasitics are analyzed and new design techniques are introduced to further enhance the gain-bandwidth product of this class of filters. The design and measurements of a broadband 28-nm bulk CMOS LNA and a sliding-IF RX tailored for E-band (i.e., 71-76-GHz and 81-86-GHz) point-to-point communication links are presented. Leveraging the proposed design methodologies, the E-band LNA achieves a figure of merit approximate to 10.5-dB better than state-of-the-art designs in the same band and comparable to LNAs at lower frequencies. The RX achieves 30.8-dB conversion gain with <1-dB in-band ripple over a 27.5-GHz BW-3-dB while demonstrating a 7.3-dB minimum NF with less than 2-dB variation from 61.4 to 88.9-GHz. The worst cases in-band ICP1-dB and IIP3 are -30.7 and -23.8-dBm, respectively, from a 0.9-V power supply. This wideband state-of-the-art performance enables robust and low power multi-Gb/s wireless communication over short to medium distance over the complete E-band with wide margin.