SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

A low-power current self-adjusted VCO using a bottom PMOS current source

Zhixiong Sheng1, 2, 3, 4, and Fengqi Yu1, 3

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Sheng Zhixiong, Email:zx.sheng@siat.ac.cn

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Abstract: This paper presents the design and implementation of a current self-adjusted VCO with low power consumption. In the proposed VCO, a bottom PMOS current source instead of a top one is adopted to decrease the tail noise. A current self-adjusted technique without additional external control signals is taken to ensure the VCO starts up in the whole band while keeping the power consumption relatively low. Meanwhile, the phase noise of the VCO at the low frequency (high Cvar) can be reduced by the technique. The circuit is implemented in 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The proposed VCO exhibits low power consumption of < 1.6 mW at a 1.5 V supply voltage and a tuning range from 11.79 to 12.53 GHz. The measured phase noise at 1 MHz offset from the frequency 11.79 GHz is -104.7 dBc/Hz, and the corresponding FOM is -184.2 dBc/Hz.

Key words: low-powerphase-noisequality factorcurrent self-adjusted techniquevoltage-controlled oscillator



[1]
Liu S L, Tian X C, Hao Y, et al. A bias-varied low-power K-band VCO in 90 nm CMOS technology. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2012, 22(6):321 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2012.2197817
[2]
Lin C A, Kuo J L, Lin Y, et al. A 24 GHz low power VCO with transformer feedback. IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium, 2009:75 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5135493&openedRefinements%3D*%26filter%3DAND%28NOT%284283010803%29%29%26pageNumber%3D2%26rowsPerPage%3D100%26queryText%3D%28+wang++h.+o.au%29
[3]
Tanabe A, Hijioka K, Nagase H, et al. A low-power, small area quadrature LC-VCO using miniature 3D solenoid shaped inductor. IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium, 2009:263 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/icp.jsp?arnumber=5135536
[4]
Huang Y, Wu D, Zhou L, et al. A 23 GHz low power VCO in SiGe BiCMOS technology. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(4):045003 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045003
[5]
Mrakami R, Ito T, Okada K, et al. An ultra-compact LC-VCO using a stacked-spiral inductor. IEICE Electron Express, 2011, 8(7):512 doi: 10.1587/elex.8.512
[6]
Park B, Lee S, Choi S, et al. A 12 GHz fully integrated cascade CMOS LC VCO with Q-enhancement circuit. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2008, 18(2):133 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2007.915136
[7]
Zhang C, Wang Z, Zhao Y, et al. A 15 GHz, -182 dBc/Hz/mW FOM, rotary traveling wave VCO in 90 nm CMOS. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2012, 22(4):206 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2012.2189100
[8]
Demirkan M, Bruss S P, Spencer R R. Design of wide tuning-range CMOS VCOs using switched coupled-inductors. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2008, 43(5):1156 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2008.920346
[9]
Yin X, Ma C, Ye T, et al. A low-phase-noise LC-VCO with enhance-Q varactor for use in a high sensitivity GNSS receiver. Journal of Semiconductors, 2012, 33(5):055002 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/5/055002
[10]
Hegazi E, Sjöland E, Abidi A A. A filtering technique to lower LC oscillator phase noise. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2001, 36(12):1921 doi: 10.1109/4.972142
[11]
Jerng A, Sodini C G. The impact of device type and sizing on phase noise mechanisms. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2005, 40(2):360 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2004.841035
[12]
Yin J, Luong H C. A 57.5-90.1 GHz magnetically tuned multimode CMOS VCO. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2013, 48(8):2013 http://repository.ust.hk/ir/Record/1783.1-59538
[13]
Hou J A, Wang Y H. A 5 GHz differential colpitts CMOS VCO using the bottom PMOS cross-coupled current source. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2009, 19(6):401 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2009.2020038
[14]
Razavi B. Design of analog CMOS integrated circuits. Xi'an:Xi'an Jiaotong University Press, 2002
Fig. 1.  The proposed VCO.

Fig. 2.  The simulated capacitance and quality factor of the varactor at 12 GHz.

Fig. 3.  The simulated quality factor and inductance of the on-chip inductor.

Fig. 4.  (a) The noise model of bottom PMOS current source. (b) The noise model of top PMOS current source.

Fig. 5.  The simulated phase-noise comparison among three VCOs using different current sources.

Fig. 6.  The simulated phase-noise versus the width of the PMOS transistor under the same bias current.

Fig. 7.  The model of the transistor MS.

Fig. 8.  Microphotograph of the fabricated VCO.

Fig. 9.  Measured tuning range and phase noise of the proposed VCO.

Fig. 10.  Measured output spectrum of the proposed VCO at 11.79 GHz.

Fig. 11.  Measured phase noise of the fabricated VCO at 11.79 GHz.

Table 1.   Performance comparison with other published VCOs.

[1]
Liu S L, Tian X C, Hao Y, et al. A bias-varied low-power K-band VCO in 90 nm CMOS technology. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2012, 22(6):321 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2012.2197817
[2]
Lin C A, Kuo J L, Lin Y, et al. A 24 GHz low power VCO with transformer feedback. IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium, 2009:75 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5135493&openedRefinements%3D*%26filter%3DAND%28NOT%284283010803%29%29%26pageNumber%3D2%26rowsPerPage%3D100%26queryText%3D%28+wang++h.+o.au%29
[3]
Tanabe A, Hijioka K, Nagase H, et al. A low-power, small area quadrature LC-VCO using miniature 3D solenoid shaped inductor. IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium, 2009:263 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/icp.jsp?arnumber=5135536
[4]
Huang Y, Wu D, Zhou L, et al. A 23 GHz low power VCO in SiGe BiCMOS technology. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(4):045003 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045003
[5]
Mrakami R, Ito T, Okada K, et al. An ultra-compact LC-VCO using a stacked-spiral inductor. IEICE Electron Express, 2011, 8(7):512 doi: 10.1587/elex.8.512
[6]
Park B, Lee S, Choi S, et al. A 12 GHz fully integrated cascade CMOS LC VCO with Q-enhancement circuit. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2008, 18(2):133 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2007.915136
[7]
Zhang C, Wang Z, Zhao Y, et al. A 15 GHz, -182 dBc/Hz/mW FOM, rotary traveling wave VCO in 90 nm CMOS. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2012, 22(4):206 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2012.2189100
[8]
Demirkan M, Bruss S P, Spencer R R. Design of wide tuning-range CMOS VCOs using switched coupled-inductors. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2008, 43(5):1156 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2008.920346
[9]
Yin X, Ma C, Ye T, et al. A low-phase-noise LC-VCO with enhance-Q varactor for use in a high sensitivity GNSS receiver. Journal of Semiconductors, 2012, 33(5):055002 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/5/055002
[10]
Hegazi E, Sjöland E, Abidi A A. A filtering technique to lower LC oscillator phase noise. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2001, 36(12):1921 doi: 10.1109/4.972142
[11]
Jerng A, Sodini C G. The impact of device type and sizing on phase noise mechanisms. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2005, 40(2):360 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2004.841035
[12]
Yin J, Luong H C. A 57.5-90.1 GHz magnetically tuned multimode CMOS VCO. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2013, 48(8):2013 http://repository.ust.hk/ir/Record/1783.1-59538
[13]
Hou J A, Wang Y H. A 5 GHz differential colpitts CMOS VCO using the bottom PMOS cross-coupled current source. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2009, 19(6):401 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2009.2020038
[14]
Razavi B. Design of analog CMOS integrated circuits. Xi'an:Xi'an Jiaotong University Press, 2002
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    Received: 18 February 2014 Revised: 14 March 2014 Online: Published: 01 September 2014

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      Zhixiong Sheng, Fengqi Yu. A low-power current self-adjusted VCO using a bottom PMOS current source[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2014, 35(9): 095006. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/9/095006 Z X Sheng, F Q Yu. A low-power current self-adjusted VCO using a bottom PMOS current source[J]. J. Semicond., 2014, 35(9): 095006. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/9/095006.Export: BibTex EndNote
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      Zhixiong Sheng, Fengqi Yu. A low-power current self-adjusted VCO using a bottom PMOS current source[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2014, 35(9): 095006. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/9/095006

      Z X Sheng, F Q Yu. A low-power current self-adjusted VCO using a bottom PMOS current source[J]. J. Semicond., 2014, 35(9): 095006. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/9/095006.
      Export: BibTex EndNote

      A low-power current self-adjusted VCO using a bottom PMOS current source

      doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/9/095006
      Funds:

      the Project on the Integration of Industry, Education and Research of Guangdong Province, China 2012B090600035

      Project supported by the Project on the Integration of Industry, Education and Research of Guangdong Province, China (No. 2012B090600035)

      More Information
      • Corresponding author: Sheng Zhixiong, Email:zx.sheng@siat.ac.cn
      • Received Date: 2014-02-18
      • Revised Date: 2014-03-14
      • Published Date: 2014-09-01

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