Design methodology for low power RF LNA based on the figure of merit and the inversion coefficient

The complexity of radiofrequency circuit design comes from the large number of parameters to be adjusted. Constant node shrink in CMOS process and variation of technology skills significantly contribute to this complexity. The paper reports on a reliable and portable design methodology based on a low-power figure of merit (FOM) and inversion coefficient applied to the design of a low noise amplifier (LNA). The design procedure considers the circuit specifications and the optimization of the FOM. As a case of study it is applied to 2.4 GHz LNA designed in a 28 nm technology then exploited to compare different CMOS technology nodes: 28, 65, 130 nm.