Self-calibration of gain and output match in LNAs

Increasing process variations and tolerance limits with successive scaling, along with rising costs per design cycle have made the fault-tolerance paradigm pertinent in RFICs. Due to the high frequencies involved, traditional fault-tolerance methods used in digital and lower frequency analog circuits cannot be applied. This paper presents a non-intrusive and robust technique of self-calibrating the gain and output match of LNAs. It involves very low overheads and does not degrade circuit performance in any measurable way, in addition to ultra-fast calibration times (lower than 50 mus). We present simulation results of the system designed in the IBM 0.25 mum process