A Linearization Technique for RF Receiver Front-End Using Second-Order-Intermodulation Injection

• Published in: IEEE journal of solid-state circuits 2008-11, Vol.43 (11), p.2404-2412
• Main Authors: Lou, S., Luong, H.C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amplifiers; Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Circuits; CMOS; CMOS technology; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Feedforward systems; Gain; High linearity; Integrated circuits; intermodulation; Linearity; Linearization; Linearization techniques; low power; Low-noise amplifiers; Noise; Noise cancellation; Noise figure; Noise levels; Noise measurement; Noise reduction; Radio frequencies; Radio frequency; Receivers; RF front-end; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Signal convertors; {\rm IIP}_{3}; {\rm IM}_{3} cancellation
• ISSN: 0018-9200; 1558-173X
• DOI: 10.1109/JSSC.2008.2004531

A linearization technique is proposed in which low-frequency second-order-intermodulation (IM 2 ) is generated and injected to suppress the third-order intermodulation (IM 3 ). The proposed linearization technique is applied to both a low-noise amplifier (LNA) and a down-conversion mixer in an RF receiver front-end (RFE) working at 900 MHz. Fabricated in a 0.18 mum CMOS process and operated at 1.5 V supply with a total current of 13.1 mA, the RFE delivers 22 dB gain with 5.3 dB noise figure (NF). The linearization technique achieves around 20 dB IM 3 suppression and improves the RFE's IIP 3 from -10.4 dBm to 0.2 dBm without gain reduction and noise penalty while requiring only an extra current of 0.1 mA.