A 0.6 V 10 GHz CMOS VCO Using a Negative-Gm Back-Gate Tuned Technique

• Published in: IEEE microwave and wireless components letters Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 163 - 165
• Main Authors: YANG, Ching-Yuan, CHANG, Chih-Hsiang, LIN, Jung-Mao, WENG, Jun-Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.03.2011; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Back-gate MOS; Capacitance; Carrier frequencies; Circuit properties; CMOS; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Dissipation; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Integrated circuits; Metal oxide semiconductors; Microwaves; Noise; Oscillators, resonators, synthetizers; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Transconductance; Transistors; Tuning; varied p-n junction capacitance; varied transconductance; voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO); Voltage-controlled oscillators; Wireless communication; Phase noise; varied transconductance; Voltage controlled oscillator; p n junction; Back-gate MOS; varied p-n junction capacitance; Low voltage; Varactor diode; Carrier frequency; Complementary MOS technology; Capacitance; High frequency; voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO); Transconductance
• ISSN: 1531-1309; 1558-1764
• DOI: 10.1109/LMWC.2010.2102011

Without an extra on-chip accumulation-mode MOS varactor, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) using a negative-transconductance back-gate tuned technique is demonstrated in a standard 0.18 μm CMOS process to achieve low-voltage, wide-range and high-frequency designs. Employing the varied p-n junction capacitance and the varied transconductance in the intrinsic-tuned regime, the VCO provides the tuning range of 9.95 to 11.05 GHz at a 0.6 V supply and dissipates below 4.35 mW. At 11 GHz carrier frequency, the measured phase noise is -110.4 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz offset.