SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

IC design of low power, wide tuning range VCO in 90 nm CMOS technology

Zhu Li1, 2, Zhigong Wang1, , Zhiqun Li1, Qin Li1 and Faen Liu1

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Wang Zhigong, Email:zgwang@seu.edu.cn

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Abstract: A low power VCO with a wide tuning range and low phase noise has been designed and realized in a standard 90 nm CMOS technology. A newly proposed current-reuse cross-connected pair is utilized as a negative conductance generator to compensate the energy loss of the resonator. The supply current is reduced by half compared to that of the conventional LC-VCO. An improved inversion-mode MOSFET (IMOS) varactor is introduced to extend the capacitance tuning range from 32.8% to 66%. A detailed analysis of the proposed varactor is provided. The VCO achieves a tuning range of 27-32.5 GHz, exhibiting a frequency tuning range (FTR) of 18.4% and a phase noise of -101.38 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset from a 30 GHz carrier, and shows an excellent FOM of -185 dBc/Hz. With the voltage supply of 1.5 V, the core circuit of VCO draws only 2.1 mA DC current.

Key words: CMOSmicrowavemillimeter waveIMOS varactorphase noisevoltage controlled oscillators



[1]
Cao C H, Kenneth K O. Millimeter-wave voltage-controlled oscillators in 0.13-μm CMOS technology. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2006, 41:1297 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2006.874321
[2]
Nakamura T, Masuda T, Shiramizu N, et al. A wide-tuning-range VCO with small VCO-gain fluctuation for multi-band W-CDMA RFIC. Proceedings of the 32th European Solid State Circuits Conference, 2006:448 http://i-scover.ieice.org/iscover/page/ARTICLE_TRAN_E96-C_6_790
[3]
Electromagnetic Simulation and Optimization. Bay Technology, Aptos, CA
[4]
Andreani P, Mattisson S. On the use of MOS varactors in RF VCO's. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2000, 35(6):905 doi: 10.1109/4.845194
[5]
Wong W M Y, Hui P S, Chen Z, et al. A wide tuning range gated varactor. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2000, 35:773 doi: 10.1109/4.841506
[6]
Lu J, Wang N Y, Chang M C F. 14.6-22.2 GHz LC-VCO in 65 nm CMOS technology for wideband applications. Electron Lett, 2011, 47(6):385 doi: 10.1049/el.2011.0348
[7]
Kwok K, Long J R. A 23-to-29 GHz transconductor-tuned VCO MMIC in 0.13μm CMOS. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2007, 42(12):2878 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2007.908740
[8]
Bu G, Tavakoli A R, Entesari K. A 24 GHz indirect VCO in 0. 18-μm CMOS technology. Proceedings of the 3rd European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference, 2012
[9]
Yang C Y, Chang C H, Lin J M, et al. A 20/40-GHz dual-band voltage-controlled frequency source in 0.13-μm CMOS. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2011, 59(8):2008 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2011.2153873
Fig. 1.  Schematic diagrams of LC-tuned oscillator. (a) Using complementary crossed coupled transistor pairs. (b) All NMOS VCO. (c) The proposed current-reuse differential LC-VCO.

Fig. 2.  (a) The proposed cross-connected pair. (b) Small-signal equivalent circuits of (a).

Fig. 3.  A schematic diagram of the VCO

Fig. 4.  Differential output voltage. (a) Voltage-limited mode ($R_{\rm s}$ = 0). (b) Current-limited mode ($R_{\rm s}$ $\ne$ 0).

Fig. 5.  (a) Conventional inversion-mode MOSFET (IMOS) varactor. (b) The proposed varactor

Fig. 6.  Simplified equivalent model for the proposed varactor (a) in depletion mode and (b) in inversion mode

Fig. 7.  The capacitance of the conventional and proposed varactors

Fig. 8.  VCO with switched fixed MIM capacitors

Fig. 9.  An improved switched tuning circuit for a differential oscillator

Fig. 10.  The simulated characteristics of the inductor

Fig. 11.  Layout of VCO

Fig. 12.  Frequency versus tuning voltage of VCO

Fig. 13.  The spectrum of the 30 GHz output signal

Fig. 14.  Phase noise of the VCO

Table 1.   Comparison of the performances for the currently published VCOs

[1]
Cao C H, Kenneth K O. Millimeter-wave voltage-controlled oscillators in 0.13-μm CMOS technology. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2006, 41:1297 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2006.874321
[2]
Nakamura T, Masuda T, Shiramizu N, et al. A wide-tuning-range VCO with small VCO-gain fluctuation for multi-band W-CDMA RFIC. Proceedings of the 32th European Solid State Circuits Conference, 2006:448 http://i-scover.ieice.org/iscover/page/ARTICLE_TRAN_E96-C_6_790
[3]
Electromagnetic Simulation and Optimization. Bay Technology, Aptos, CA
[4]
Andreani P, Mattisson S. On the use of MOS varactors in RF VCO's. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2000, 35(6):905 doi: 10.1109/4.845194
[5]
Wong W M Y, Hui P S, Chen Z, et al. A wide tuning range gated varactor. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2000, 35:773 doi: 10.1109/4.841506
[6]
Lu J, Wang N Y, Chang M C F. 14.6-22.2 GHz LC-VCO in 65 nm CMOS technology for wideband applications. Electron Lett, 2011, 47(6):385 doi: 10.1049/el.2011.0348
[7]
Kwok K, Long J R. A 23-to-29 GHz transconductor-tuned VCO MMIC in 0.13μm CMOS. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2007, 42(12):2878 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2007.908740
[8]
Bu G, Tavakoli A R, Entesari K. A 24 GHz indirect VCO in 0. 18-μm CMOS technology. Proceedings of the 3rd European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference, 2012
[9]
Yang C Y, Chang C H, Lin J M, et al. A 20/40-GHz dual-band voltage-controlled frequency source in 0.13-μm CMOS. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2011, 59(8):2008 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2011.2153873
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    Received: 19 May 2014 Revised: 14 June 2014 Online: Published: 01 December 2014

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      Zhu Li, Zhigong Wang, Zhiqun Li, Qin Li, Faen Liu. IC design of low power, wide tuning range VCO in 90 nm CMOS technology[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2014, 35(12): 125013. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125013 Z Li, Z G Wang, Z Q Li, Q Li, F E Liu. IC design of low power, wide tuning range VCO in 90 nm CMOS technology[J]. J. Semicond., 2014, 35(12): 125013. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125013.Export: BibTex EndNote
      Citation:
      Zhu Li, Zhigong Wang, Zhiqun Li, Qin Li, Faen Liu. IC design of low power, wide tuning range VCO in 90 nm CMOS technology[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2014, 35(12): 125013. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125013

      Z Li, Z G Wang, Z Q Li, Q Li, F E Liu. IC design of low power, wide tuning range VCO in 90 nm CMOS technology[J]. J. Semicond., 2014, 35(12): 125013. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125013.
      Export: BibTex EndNote

      IC design of low power, wide tuning range VCO in 90 nm CMOS technology

      doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125013
      Funds:

      the National Basic Research Program of China 2010CB327404

      the National Natural Science Foundation of China 60901012

      Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2010CB327404), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (No. 2011AA10305), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 60901012)

      the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China 2011AA10305

      More Information
      • Corresponding author: Wang Zhigong, Email:zgwang@seu.edu.cn
      • Received Date: 2014-05-19
      • Revised Date: 2014-06-14
      • Published Date: 2014-12-01

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