J. Semicond. > 2014, Volume 35 > Issue 12 > 125008
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SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

A wide locking range and low DC power injection-locked frequency tripler for K-band application

Zibo Zhou, Wei Li, Ning Li and Junyan Ren

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Li Wei, Email:w-li@fudan.edu.cn

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125008

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Abstract: This paper presents a wide locking range and low DC power injection-locked frequency tripler for Kband frequency synthesizers application.The proposed ILFT employs a variable current source to decouple the injection signal path and the bias current so that the third harmonic of the injection signal can be maximized to enlarge the locking range.Meanwhile, a 2-bit digital control capacity array is used to further increase the output frequency locking range.It is implemented in a 130-nm CMOS process and occupies a chip area of 0.7×0.8 mm2 without pads.The measured results show that the proposed ILFT can achieve a whole locking range from 18 to 21 GHz under the input signal of 4 dBm and the core circuit dissipates only 4 mW of DC power from a 0.8 V supply voltage.The measured phase noise degradation from that of the injection signal is only 10 dB at 1 MHz offset.

Key words: frequency synthesizer, injection-locked, tripler



[1]
Wang Chuang, Qian Rong, Sun Xiaowei. K-band monolithic low noise amplifier with high gain. Chinese Journal of Semiconductors, 2006, 27(7):1285 http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-BDTX200607025.htm
[2]
Huang Zhengliang, Yu Faxin, Zheng Yao. A 4 W K-band GaAs MMIC power amplifier with 22 dB gain. Journal of Semiconductors, 2010, 31(3):035001 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/31/3/035001
[3]
Tokumitsu T. K-band and millimeter-wave MMICs for emerging commercial wireless applications. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2001, 49(11):648 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/icp.jsp?arnumber=963138
[4]
Wang C C, Chen Z M, Heydari P. W-band silicon-based frequency synthesizers using injection-locked and harmonic triplers. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2011, 60(5):1307 http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012ITMTT..60.1307W
[5]
Wu C Y, Chen M C, Lo Y K. A phase-locked loop with injectionlocked frequency multiplier in 0.18-m CMOS for V-band appli-cations. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2009, 57(7):1629 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2009.2021833
[6]
Chen M C, Wu C Y. Design and analysis of CMOS subharmonic injection-locked frequency triplers. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2008, 56(8):1869 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2008.926566
[7]
Chen Z, Heydari P. An 85-95.2 GHz transformer-based injection-locked frequency tripler in 65 nm CMOS. IEEE MTT-S Int Microw Symp Dig, 2010:776
[8]
Maas S A. Active frequency multipliers. In: Nonlinear microwave and RF circuits. 2nd ed. Norwood, MA: Artech House, 2003, 10(2): 477
[9]
Razavi B. A study of injection locking and pulling in oscillators. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2004, 39(9):1415 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2004.831608
[10]
Yeh Y L, Huang C S, Chang H Y. A 20. 7% locking range W-band fully integrated injection-locked oscillator using 90 nm CMOS technology. IEEE MTT-S Int Microw Symp Dig, 2012
[11]
Yeh Y L, Chang H Y. A W-band wide locking range and low DC power injection-locked frequency tripler using transformer coupled technique. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2013, 61(2):860 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2012.2235854
[12]
Tam S W, Socher E, Wong A, et al. Simultaneous sub-harmonic injection-locked mm-wave frequency generators for multi-band communications in CMOS. IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium, 2008:131 http://cadlab.cs.ucla.edu/icsoc/protected-dir/IC-DFN_Agenda_Aug_2008/RFI_Cong.pdf
[13]
Chen C C, Wu J W, Chiao T F. Dual-injection sub-harmonic injection-locked frequency tripler. Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference Proceedings (APMC), 2012:1214 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=6421873
Fig. 1.  FS structure[4, 5]

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Fig. 2.  The proposed ILFT core circuit.

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Fig. 3.  Simplified current injection model of the proposed ILFT.

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Fig. 4.  Calculated results of the normalized amplitude of the third-harmonic drain current versus conduction angle.

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Fig. 5.  Die photograph of the proposed ILFT

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Fig. 6.  Measured output spectrum of the ILFT under (a) free-running and (b) injection-locked conditions with cable loss.

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Fig. 7.  Measured input sensitivity of the ILFT under different conditions.

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Fig. 8.  Measured phase noise of the reference signal, the free-running signal, and the locked signal.

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Fig. 9.  Measured output power spectrum of the first, the second and the third harmonics with 4 dBm input injection power.

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Table 1.   Comparison of the previously reported ILFTs and this work
[1]
Wang Chuang, Qian Rong, Sun Xiaowei. K-band monolithic low noise amplifier with high gain. Chinese Journal of Semiconductors, 2006, 27(7):1285 http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-BDTX200607025.htm
[2]
Huang Zhengliang, Yu Faxin, Zheng Yao. A 4 W K-band GaAs MMIC power amplifier with 22 dB gain. Journal of Semiconductors, 2010, 31(3):035001 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/31/3/035001
[3]
Tokumitsu T. K-band and millimeter-wave MMICs for emerging commercial wireless applications. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2001, 49(11):648 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/icp.jsp?arnumber=963138
[4]
Wang C C, Chen Z M, Heydari P. W-band silicon-based frequency synthesizers using injection-locked and harmonic triplers. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2011, 60(5):1307 http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012ITMTT..60.1307W
[5]
Wu C Y, Chen M C, Lo Y K. A phase-locked loop with injectionlocked frequency multiplier in 0.18-m CMOS for V-band appli-cations. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2009, 57(7):1629 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2009.2021833
[6]
Chen M C, Wu C Y. Design and analysis of CMOS subharmonic injection-locked frequency triplers. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2008, 56(8):1869 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2008.926566
[7]
Chen Z, Heydari P. An 85-95.2 GHz transformer-based injection-locked frequency tripler in 65 nm CMOS. IEEE MTT-S Int Microw Symp Dig, 2010:776
[8]
Maas S A. Active frequency multipliers. In: Nonlinear microwave and RF circuits. 2nd ed. Norwood, MA: Artech House, 2003, 10(2): 477
[9]
Razavi B. A study of injection locking and pulling in oscillators. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2004, 39(9):1415 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2004.831608
[10]
Yeh Y L, Huang C S, Chang H Y. A 20. 7% locking range W-band fully integrated injection-locked oscillator using 90 nm CMOS technology. IEEE MTT-S Int Microw Symp Dig, 2012
[11]
Yeh Y L, Chang H Y. A W-band wide locking range and low DC power injection-locked frequency tripler using transformer coupled technique. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2013, 61(2):860 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2012.2235854
[12]
Tam S W, Socher E, Wong A, et al. Simultaneous sub-harmonic injection-locked mm-wave frequency generators for multi-band communications in CMOS. IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium, 2008:131 http://cadlab.cs.ucla.edu/icsoc/protected-dir/IC-DFN_Agenda_Aug_2008/RFI_Cong.pdf
[13]
Chen C C, Wu J W, Chiao T F. Dual-injection sub-harmonic injection-locked frequency tripler. Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference Proceedings (APMC), 2012:1214 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=6421873

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    Received: 30 April 2014 Revised: 19 June 2014 Online: Published: 01 December 2014

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      Article Navigation >  Journal of Semiconductors  > 2014  >  35(12): 125008
      Zibo Zhou, Wei Li, Ning Li, Junyan Ren. A wide locking range and low DC power injection-locked frequency tripler for K-band application[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2014, 35(12): 125008. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125008 ****Z B Zhou, W Li, N Li, J Y Ren. A wide locking range and low DC power injection-locked frequency tripler for K-band application[J]. J. Semicond., 2014, 35(12): 125008. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125008.
      Citation:
      Zibo Zhou, Wei Li, Ning Li, Junyan Ren. A wide locking range and low DC power injection-locked frequency tripler for K-band application[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2014, 35(12): 125008. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125008 ****
      Z B Zhou, W Li, N Li, J Y Ren. A wide locking range and low DC power injection-locked frequency tripler for K-band application[J]. J. Semicond., 2014, 35(12): 125008. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125008.
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      A wide locking range and low DC power injection-locked frequency tripler for K-band application

      DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/125008

      • State Key Laboratory of ASIC & System, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China

      Funds:

      Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61376037) and the National Twelve-Five Project (No. 513***)

      the National Natural Science Foundation of China 61376037

      the National Twelve-Five Project 513

      More Information
      • Corresponding author: Li Wei, Email:w-li@fudan.edu.cn
      • Received Date: 2014-04-30
      • Revised Date: 2014-06-19
      • Published Date: 2014-12-01

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