A medium-power low-noise amplifier for X-band applications

A monolithic front-end amplifier for X-hand radar applications has been developed utilising conventional low noise GaAs technology. The application requires low noise figure, high output power, good input and output return loss, high gain and reduced chip area. To simultaneously fulfil such conflicting requirements, proper design methods have been adopted. Measured results from 8.5 to 9.6 GHz demonstrate a noise figure lower than 1.5 dB, a small-signal gain of 29 dB, input and output return loss over 20 dB, with an associated output power at -1 dB gain compression in excess of 17 dBm.