Low Phase-Noise and Low-Power CMOS VCO Constructed in Current-Reused Configuration

• Published in: IEEE microwave and wireless components letters 2008-02, Vol.18 (2), p.136-138
• Main Authors: YANG, Chin-Lung, CHIANG, Yi-Chyun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Capacitors; Circuit properties; Circuits; CMOS; Construction; Current-reused feature; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Dielectric, amorphous and glass solid devices; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency; Integrated circuits; low phase-noise; Microwave circuits, microwave integrated circuits, microwave transmission lines, submillimeter wave circuits; Microwaves; MOS devices; Noise; Oscillations; Oscillators; Oscillators, resonators, synthetizers; Phase measurement; Phase noise; Power consumption; Resistors; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Transconductance; Tuning; Voltage; voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO); Voltage-controlled oscillators
• ISSN: 1531-1309; 2771-957X; 1558-1764; 2771-9588
• DOI: 10.1109/LMWC.2007.915138

A Ku-band CMOS voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) constructed in a modified current-reused configuration is presented in this letter. Two dc level shifters combined into two metal-insulator-metal capacitors are adopted to solve the transconductance and load mismatch problems of the conventional current-reused VCO for obtaining more symmetrical oscillation signals and lowering the phase noise of oscillator. A prototype was designed and measured to verify the design concept. The measurement results demonstrate the central oscillation signal of 16 GHz to be associated with the 900 MHz tuning range and -111 dBc/Hz phase noise at 1 MHz offset. The power consumption of the VCO core is only 8.1 mW. The measurement result evaluated by means of a figure of merit is about -186.8 dBc/Hz.