Chip-package co-design of common emitter LNA in system-on-package with on-chip versus off-chip passive component analysis

Abstract

In this paper, we present common emitter LNAs (low noise amplifiers) in system-on-package for 5GHz WLAN application. Innovation of this module is that it is chip-package co-designed and co-simulated with performance trade-offs for on-chip versus off-chip passive component integration. It thus provides an optimal total solution for embedded RF electronics in system-level integration. Analytical equations for key performance parameters, noise figure and gain, of these LNAs are developed as functions of quality factors of passive components and the package parasitics. They hence provide designers a quantitative trade-off for on-chip versus off chip passive components integration in Sod design. The final module is composed of on-chip active components in 0.5/spl mu/m SiGe BiCMOS technology and off-chip passive components integrated in MCM-D substrate. Significant improvement in performance is found in these co-designed LNAs than those in single-chip LNAs.