Design of 2.4 GHZ CMOS Frontend for Bluetooth

Diplomarbeit, die am 29.03.2001 erfolgreich an einer Technische Universität in Deutschland eingereicht wurde. Abstract: The Bluetooth wireless technology is the worlds new short-range RF transmission standard for small form factor, low-cost, short-range radio links between portable or desktop devices. The technology promises to eliminate the confusion of cables, connectors and protocols confounding communications between today high tech products. In the first step a 2.45 GHz Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), intended for use in a Bluetooth receiver, has been designed in a standard 0.18 um CMOS process. The amplifier provides a simulated switchable forward voltage gain of +16 / -7.7 dB with a simulated noise Figure (NF) of only 3 dB while drawing 2.8 mA from a 1.8 V supply. The die area of the LNA (pads included) is 0.79 mm2. In the second step a 2.45 GHz Power Amplifier (PA), also intended for the Bluetooth standard, has been designed in the same 0.18 um CMOS process as for the LNA. The class-A PA achieves a simulated forward gain (S21) of 23 dB and a simulated output 1 dB compression point (P1dB ) of 5.5 dBm, with a power-added efficiency (PAE) of 23 % while drawing 15.8 mA from a 1.8 V supply. The die area of the PA (pads included) is 2.1 mm2. Table of Contents: 1.|Introduction|1 1.1|Motivation|1 1.2|Organization|2 2.|The Bluetooth standard|3 2.1|Bluetooth as branding-name|3 2.2|Bluetooth RF requirements|4 2.3|System design|4 2.3.1|Receiver architectures|4 2.3.2|Transmitter architectures|6 3.|RF CMOS technology|9 3.1|The foundry|9 3.1.1|Technology overview|9 3.1.2|Process Characteristic|9 3.2|Design Flow|10 3.2.1|Cadence|10 3.2.2|SpectreRF|10 4.|Integrated spiral inductors|11 4.1|View and physical dimension of spiral|11 4.2|Model for on-chip spiral inductors|12 5.|Low Noise Amplifier|13 5.1|Architecture choices|13 5.1.1|Recent studies|13 5.1.2|LNA Architectures|13 5.1.3|Architecture properties|14 5.1.4|Architec