Miniaturised L-band MIC LNA design

A design technique for LNA size miniaturisation is described which does not compromise electrical performance. The method has been applied to the design of a L-band LNA and results in a measured noise figure of 0.25 dB and 15 dB associated gain. The circuit is realised in MIC technology with a total surface area of less than 4.8*8.8 mm². The reduced size allows the LNA to be cascaded with MMIC gain blocks with little or no volume impact and considerably improved electrical performance compared with a complex MMIC solution.