A 0.8–3 GHz RF-VGA with 35 dB dynamic range in 0.13 μm CMOS

A wideband variable gain amplifier (VGA) implemented in 0.13 μm CMOS technology is presented. To optimize noise performance, an active feedback amplifier with 15 dB fixed gain is put in the front, followed by modified Cherry—Hooper amplifiers in cascade providing variable gain, which adopt dual loop feedback for bandwidth extension. Negative capacitive neutralization and capacitive source degeneration are employed for Miller effect compensation and DC offset cancellation, respectively. Measurement results show that the proposed VGA achieves a 35 dB gain tuning range with an upper 3-dB bandwidth larger than 3 GHz and the input 1 dB compression point of −29 dBm at the lowest gain state, while the minimum noise figure is 9 dB at the highest gain state. The core VGA (without test buffer) consumes 32 mW from 1.2 V power supply and occupies 0.48 mm2 area. (semiconductor integrated circuits)