J. Semicond. > 2013, Volume 34 > Issue 4 > 045003
|

SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

A 23 GHz low power VCO in SiGe BiCMOS technology

Yinkun Huang1, 2, Danyu Wu1, 2, Lei Zhou1, 2, Fan Jiang1, 2, Jin Wu1, 2 and Zhi Jin1, 2,

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Jin Zhi, Email:jinzhi@ime.ac.cn

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045003

PDF

Abstract: A 23 GHz voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with very low power consumption is presented. This paper presents the design and measurement of an integrated millimeter wave VCO. This VCO employs an on-chip inductor and MOS varactor to form a high Q resonator. The VCO RFIC was implemented in a 0.18 μm 120 GHz ft SiGe hetero-junction bipolar transistor (HBT) BiCMOS technology. The VCO oscillation frequency is around 23 GHz, targeting at the ultra wideband (UWB) and short range radar applications. The core of the VCO circuit consumes 1 mA current from a 2.5 V power supply and the VCO phase noise was measured at around-94 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz frequency offset. The FOM of the VCO is-177 dBc/Hz.

Key words: VCO, low power, SiGe BiCMOS



[1]
Osorio J, Vaucher C S, Huff B, et al. A 21.7-to-27.8 GHz 2.6-degrees-RMS 40 mW frequency systhesizer in 45 nm CMOS for mm-wave communication applications. IEEE ISSCC, 2011:278
[2]
Sadhu B, Ferriss M A, Plouchart J O, et al. A 21.8-27.5 GHz PLL in 32 nm SOI using Gm linearization to achieve-130 dBc/Hz phase noise at 10 MHz offset from a 22 GHz carrier. IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium, 2012:75
[3]
Nagarajan M, Ma K, Seng Y K, et al. A low power wide tuning range low phase noise VCO using coupled LC tanks. Semiconductor Conference Dresden (SCD), 2011:1 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6068769/keywords
[4]
Osmany S A, Herzel F, Scheytt J C, et al. Integrated 22 GHz low-phase-noise VCO with digital tuning in SiGe BiCMOS technology. Electron Lett, 2009, 45(1):39 doi: 10.1049/el:20092924
[5]
Leeson D B. A simple model of feedback oscillator noises spectrum. Proc IEEE, 1966, 54:329 doi: 10.1109/PROC.1966.4682
[6]
Kinget P. Integrated GHz voltage controlled oscillators. Norwell, MA:Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999 doi: 10.1007/978-1-4757-3047-0_17?no-access=true
[7]
Kakani V, Jin Y, Dai F F. A 25 GHz wide-tuning VCO RFIC implemented in 0.13μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. IEEE Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting (BCTM), 2010
[8]
Yang J, Kim C, Kim D, et al. Design of a 24-GHz CMOS VCO with an asymmetric-width transformer. IEEE Trans Circuit Syst Ⅱ, 2010, 57(3):173 doi: 10.1109/TCSII.2010.2043381
[9]
Hsieh C, Kao K, Ronald Tseng J, et al. A K-band CMOS low power modified colpitts VCO using transformer feedback. IEEE MTT-S Int Microwave Symp Dig, 2009:1293 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5165941/?reload=true&arnumber=5165941&punumber%3D5159259
Fig. 1.  Basic LC-VCO.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint
Fig. 2.  Basic LC-resonator tank.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint
Fig. 3.  Schematic of VCO.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint
Fig. 4.  Photo of the oscillator.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint
Fig. 5.  Measured output spectrum and phase noise.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Table 1.   Low-power low phase noise design strategy.

Table 3.   Simulated versus measured.

Table 2.   Comparison of VCO performance.
[1]
Osorio J, Vaucher C S, Huff B, et al. A 21.7-to-27.8 GHz 2.6-degrees-RMS 40 mW frequency systhesizer in 45 nm CMOS for mm-wave communication applications. IEEE ISSCC, 2011:278
[2]
Sadhu B, Ferriss M A, Plouchart J O, et al. A 21.8-27.5 GHz PLL in 32 nm SOI using Gm linearization to achieve-130 dBc/Hz phase noise at 10 MHz offset from a 22 GHz carrier. IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium, 2012:75
[3]
Nagarajan M, Ma K, Seng Y K, et al. A low power wide tuning range low phase noise VCO using coupled LC tanks. Semiconductor Conference Dresden (SCD), 2011:1 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6068769/keywords
[4]
Osmany S A, Herzel F, Scheytt J C, et al. Integrated 22 GHz low-phase-noise VCO with digital tuning in SiGe BiCMOS technology. Electron Lett, 2009, 45(1):39 doi: 10.1049/el:20092924
[5]
Leeson D B. A simple model of feedback oscillator noises spectrum. Proc IEEE, 1966, 54:329 doi: 10.1109/PROC.1966.4682
[6]
Kinget P. Integrated GHz voltage controlled oscillators. Norwell, MA:Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999 doi: 10.1007/978-1-4757-3047-0_17?no-access=true
[7]
Kakani V, Jin Y, Dai F F. A 25 GHz wide-tuning VCO RFIC implemented in 0.13μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. IEEE Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting (BCTM), 2010
[8]
Yang J, Kim C, Kim D, et al. Design of a 24-GHz CMOS VCO with an asymmetric-width transformer. IEEE Trans Circuit Syst Ⅱ, 2010, 57(3):173 doi: 10.1109/TCSII.2010.2043381
[9]
Hsieh C, Kao K, Ronald Tseng J, et al. A K-band CMOS low power modified colpitts VCO using transformer feedback. IEEE MTT-S Int Microwave Symp Dig, 2009:1293 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5165941/?reload=true&arnumber=5165941&punumber%3D5159259

    • Search

    Advanced Search >>

    GET CITATION

    shu

    Export: BibTex EndNote

    Article Metrics

    Article views: 2442 Times PDF downloads: 19 Times Cited by: 0 Times

    History

    Received: 28 August 2012 Revised: 29 October 2012 Online: Published: 01 April 2013

    Catalog

      Email This Article

      User name:
      Email:*请输入正确邮箱
      Code:*验证码错误
      Send
      Article Navigation >  Journal of Semiconductors  > 2013  >  34(4): 045003
      Yinkun Huang, Danyu Wu, Lei Zhou, Fan Jiang, Jin Wu, Zhi Jin. A 23 GHz low power VCO in SiGe BiCMOS technology[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(4): 045003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045003 ****Y K Huang, D Y Wu, L Zhou, F Jiang, J Wu, Z Jin. A 23 GHz low power VCO in SiGe BiCMOS technology[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(4): 045003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045003.
      Citation:
      Yinkun Huang, Danyu Wu, Lei Zhou, Fan Jiang, Jin Wu, Zhi Jin. A 23 GHz low power VCO in SiGe BiCMOS technology[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(4): 045003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045003 ****
      Y K Huang, D Y Wu, L Zhou, F Jiang, J Wu, Z Jin. A 23 GHz low power VCO in SiGe BiCMOS technology[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(4): 045003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045003.
      shu

      A 23 GHz low power VCO in SiGe BiCMOS technology

      DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045003
      • 1.

        Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China

      • 2.

        Key Laboratory of Microelectronics Devices & Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China

      Funds:

      Project supported by the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (No. 2010CB327502)

      the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China 2010CB327502

      More Information
      • Corresponding author: Jin Zhi, Email:jinzhi@ime.ac.cn
      • Received Date: 2012-08-28
      • Revised Date: 2012-10-29
      • Published Date: 2013-04-01

      Catalog

        Journal of Semiconductors © 2017 All Rights Reserved   京ICP备05085259号-2

        /

        DownLoad:  Full-Size Img  PowerPoint
        Return
        Return