A K/Ka-Band Frequency Reconfigurable GaN LNA for Multi-Band Communication Applications

A frequency reconfigurable low noise amplifier (LNA) in a 0.15-μm gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility-transistor process. The frequency reconfiguration concept of utilizing a switch-based reconfigurable resonator (SBRR) to adjust the resonant frequency and introduce a transmission zero in the lower out-of-band region is presented. Additionally, a K/Ka-band frequency-reconfigurable LNA that incorporates the SBRR is designed and fabricated for validation. The proposed LNA features a small-signal gain of 13.9/8.9 dB and a noise figure of 2.4/3.2 dB at 21/30 GHz. The measured output power 1-dB compression point ( \mathrmOP_1\mathrmdB ) is 5.5/6.7 dBm at 21/30 GHz, respectively. The chip size is 1.5\times1.75 mm². The reconfigurable GaN LNA is attractive for future multi-band communication systems compatible for multiple standards.