CMOS Low Noise Amplifier Design for Wireless Sensor Networks

Richard Lu
 2003 M.S. (advisor: Jan M. Rabaey)

Recently, there has been much research aimed at achieving autonomous wireless sensor nodes. One such project is the PicoRadio project at UC Berkeley, which envisions the sensor nodes collecting data such as temperature, humidity, etc, while scavenging energy from the nearby building environment [1]. In order for the PicoRadio project to attain its goals, a low power transceiver is needed. A major component in the receiver is the low noise amplifier. The low noise amplifier needs to provide an input impedance match as well as amplify the signal without adding too much noise or distortion while consuming minimal power.