volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

This paper presents a new three-phase LC-ring voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) using the TSMC 0.18μm 1P6M CMOS process. The VCO consists of three single-ended complementary Colpitts VCOs coupled via a varactor ring. Tuning range of VCO is 0.59 GHz, from 8.22 GHz to 8.81 GHz, while the control voltage was tuned from 0 V to 1.1 V and the VCO core power consumption is 2.82 mW at the supply voltage of 1.1 V. The measured phase noise is -118.14 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency from 8.40 GHz. The VCO occupies a chip area of 1.018×0.74 mm² and provides a figure of merit of -192.14 dBc/Hz.

1. Dai, L. and R. Harjani, "Design of low-phase-noise CMOS ring oscillators," IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. II, Vol. 49, No. 5, 328-338, 2002.
doi:10.1109/TCSII.2002.801409

2. Razavi, B., "A study of phase noise in CMOS oscillators," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 31, No. 3, 331-343, Mar. 1996.
doi:10.1109/4.494195

3. Kim, J. J. and B. Kim, "A low-phase-noise CMOS LC oscillator with a ring structure," ISSCC Digest of Technical Papers, 430-431, 2000.

4. Jang, S.-L., T.-Y. Cheng, C.-W. Chang, and C.-W. Hsue, "A three-phase complementary Colpitts VCO implemented with a LC-ring resonator," Micro. and Opt. Tech. Lett., Vol. 35, No. 10, 2308-2310, Oct. 2011.
doi:10.1002/mop.26238

5. Jang, S.-L., C.-Y. Wu, C.-C. Liu, and M.-H. Juang, "A 5.6 GHz low power balanced VCO in 0.18 μm CMOS," IEEE Microw. Wireless Compon. Lett., Vol. 19, No. 4, 233-235, Apr. 2009.
doi:10.1109/LMWC.2009.2015507

6. Li , S.-H., S.-L. Jang, Y.-S. Chuang, and C.-F. Li, "A new LC-tank voltage controlled oscillator," IEEE Asia-Pacific Cir. Syst. Conf., 425-427, Dec. 2004.

7. Choi, J. and A. Mortazawi, "Design of push{push and triple-push oscillators for reducing 1/f noise upconversion," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., Vol. 53, No. 11, 3407-3414, Nov. 2005.
doi:10.1109/TMTT.2005.858382

8. Tonietto, R., L. Bietti, B. Mercier, R. Marbot, and R. Castello, "A six phases LC based ring oscillator for 1.5-3 Gbits SATA interface," IEEE Symposium on VLSI Circuits Digest of Technical Paper, 260-263, 2004.

9. Lee , K., et al. "A single-chip 2.4 GHz direct-conversion CMOS receiver for wireless local loop using multiphase reduces frequency conversion technique," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 36, No. 5, 800-809, May 2001.
doi:10.1109/4.918918

10. Lai, A., T. Itoh, and C. Caloz, "Composite right/left-handed transmission line metamaterials," IEEE Microw. Mag., Vol. 5, No. 3, 34-50, Sep. 2004.
doi:10.1109/MMW.2004.1337766

11. Levantino, S., C. Samori, A. Bonfanti, S. L. J. Gierkink, A. L. Lacaita, and V. Boccuzzi, "Frequency dependence on bias current in 5-GHz CMOS VCOs: Impact on tuning range and flicker noise upconversion," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 37, No. 8, 1003-1011, Aug. 2002.
doi:10.1109/JSSC.2002.800969

12. Yuen, C. M. and K. F. Tsang, "Phase noise measurement of free-running VCO using spectrum analyzer," IEEE Radio and Wireless Conf., 443-446, 2004.

13. Ham , D. and A. Hajimiri, "Concepts and methods in optimization of integrated LC VCOs," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 36, No. 6, 896-909, Jun. 2001.
doi:10.1109/4.924852

14. Huang, T.-H. and Y.-R. Tseng, "A 1V 2.2mW 7 GHz CMOS quadrature VCO using current-reuse and cross-coupled transformer-feedback technology," IEEE Microw. Wireless Compon. Lett., Vol. 18, No. 10, 698-700, Oct. 2008.
doi:10.1109/LMWC.2008.2003477

15. Baek, D., T. Song, E. Yoon, and S. Hong, "8 GHz CMOS quadrature VCO using transformer-based LC tank," IEEE Microw. Wireless Compon. Lett., Vol. 13, No. 10, 446-448, Oct. 2003.
doi:10.1109/LMWC.2003.815685

16. Yang, C.-Y., C.-H. Chang, J.-M. Lin, and J.-H. Weng, "A 0.6V 10 GHz CMOS VCO using a negative-Gm back-gate tuned technique," IEEE Microw. Wireless Compon. Lett., Vol. 21, No. 3, 163-165, Mar. 2011.
doi:10.1109/LMWC.2010.2102011

Dr. Sheng-Lyang Jang

Dr. Yu-Sheng Lin

Dr. Chia-Wei Chang

Dr. Miin-Horng Juang