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Low-Cost Testing of 5 GHz Low Noise Amplifiers Using New RF BIST Circuit

  • Analog and RF Design
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Abstract

This paper presents a new low-cost RF BIST (Built-In Self-Test) scheme that is capable of measuring input impedance, gain, noise figure and input return loss for a low noise amplifier (LNA) in RF systems. The RF BIST technique requires an additional RF amplifier and two peak detectors, and its output is a DC voltage level. The BIST circuit is designed using 0.18 μm SiGe technology. The test technique utilizes output DC voltage measurements and these measured values are translated into the LNA specifications such as input impedance and gain using the developed mathematical equations. Simulation results are presented for an LNA working at 5 GHz. Measurement data are compared with simulation results to validate the developed mathematical equations. The technique is simple and inexpensive.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., South Korea

    Jee-Youl Ryu

  2. University of Alabama, Alabama

    Bruce C. Kim

Authors
  1. Jee-Youl Ryu
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  2. Bruce C. Kim
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Correspondence to Jee-Youl Ryu.

Additional information

Jee-Youl Ryu received the BS and MS degrees in 1993 and 1997 from Pukyong National University in Electronic Engineering, Pusan, South Korea respectively. He also received the PhD degree in 2004 from Arizona State University in Electrical Engineering, Arizona, USA. He is currently with Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. His current research interests include RF IC design and testing, MMIC design and testing, analog IC design and testing, passives modeling, testing and analysis, and MEMS technology.

Dr. Bruce Kim received the B.S.E.E. degree from the University of California, Irvine in 1981, the M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Arizona in 1985, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1996. He was an Associate Professor at Arizona State University until 2005. Currently, he is an Associate Professor at The University of Alabama. His current research interests include RF IC testing, MEMS integration and VLSI circuits. He has been working on SiP testing technologies, package electrical modeling, and measurements of RF IC packages. Dr. Kim is a 1997 recipient of the National Science Foundation's CAREER Award and received the Meritorious Award from IEEE. He serves as the Chair of the IEEE CPMT Society TC-Electrical Test, associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on Advanced Packaging, associate editor of Design and Test of Computers, and program committee member of Electronic Components and Technology Conference. He is a senior member of IEEE.

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Ryu, JY., Kim, B.C. Low-Cost Testing of 5 GHz Low Noise Amplifiers Using New RF BIST Circuit. J Electron Test 21, 571–581 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10836-005-3735-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10836-005-3735-y

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