A General-Purpose Schematic-Layout Co-Optimization Platform for RFIC Design Demonstrated with a 1.7-dB-NF 12-28GHz LNA

To address electromagnetic circuit interaction challenges in passive networks of RF/mm-wave integrated circuits (ICs), this paper proposes a fully automated schematic-layout co-optimization framework. Its key innovations include parametric layout generation for arbitrary passive structures and concurrent tuning of both schematic and layout parameters based on a Bayesian optimization core. The framework is validated by fabricating a 12–28 GHz low-noise amplifier (LNA) with a multi-group coupled transformer in a 65-nm CMOS process. Measurement results show that the LNA achieves 17.1dB gain, 1.7–3 dB noise figure (NF), and -15.8dBm IP1dB. As the first fabrication-verified automated co-optimization solution for full-band RFICs, this work significantly shortens the design cycle while ensuring performance robustness.