A wide tuning range V-band push-push CMOS voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is proposed in this study. A new core complementary Colpitts structure was adopted in a 0.18 μm CMOS process to reduce dc power consumption and to improve tuning range owing to the reduction weighting of FET induced capacitance of L-C tank. The designed VCO oscillates from 64.2 to 69.4 GHz with a 5.2 GHz tuning range under a control voltage range of 1.2 V. The measured phase noise at 1 MHz offset is -76.23 dBc/Hz at 69.39 GHz. The power consumption of the VCO core is only 27.52 mW.

A Wide Tuning Range 69 GHz Push-Push VCO Using 0.18 $\mu{\rm m}$ CMOS Technology

A new circuit topology, named ring-coupled quad for millimeter-wave voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) design, is proposed. The proposed circuit topology provides higher open loop voltage gain than conventional cross-coupled pair. The layout of the proposed ring-coupled quad is fully symmetric without additional interconnection lines. A 90-GHz VCO using 90-nm CMOS process is implemented with this ring-coupled quad. This 90-GHz oscillator demonstrates a 2.5-GHz tuning range and higher than -20dBm output power. The proposed ring-coupled quad is suitable for the realization of high frequency VCOs

A Fundamental 90-GHz CMOS VCO Using New Ring-Coupled Quad

A novel circuit topology suitable for the implementation of CMOS voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) at millimeter-wave frequencies is presented in this paper. By employing transmission line segments to transform the admittance of the additional cross-coupled pair, the proposed LC-tank VCO can sustain fundamental oscillation at a frequency close to the fmax of the transistors. Using a standard 0.18 mum CMOS process, a V-band VCO is realized for demonstration. The fabricated circuit exhibits a frequency tuning range of 670 MHz in the vicinity of 63 GHz. The measured output power and phase noise at 1 MHz offset are -15 dBm and -89 dBc/Hz, respectively. Operated at a 1.8 V supply voltage, the VCO core and the output buffer consume a total DC current of 55 mA.

A V-Band CMOS VCO With an Admittance-Transforming Cross-Coupled Pair

A 59-GHz push-push voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)-based on 0.18m SiGe BiCMOS technology-for a full-band 60-GHz transceiver was developed. The VCO uses a loop-ground transmission line (LG-TML) composed of λf0/2 signal lines (half wavelength at fundamental frequency) and λ2f0/4 secondary lines (quarter wavelength at second harmonic frequency). The LG-TML makes it possible to output both a large signal at second harmonic frequency and an adequate signal at the fundamental frequency for driving a prescalar, while it prevents the Miller effect of the HBTs in the VCO from increasing and negative conductance from being reduced. As a result, the VCO achieves high output power of +1.5 dBm, while maintaining wide tuning range of 13.9 GHz (26% of the center oscillation frequency). Moreover, it exhibits a low phase noise of -108 dBc/Hz at a 1-MHz offset frequency and achieves a state-of-the-art figure of merit (FOMT) of -189.6 dB.

A Push-Push VCO With 13.9-GHz Wide Tuning Range Using Loop-Ground Transmission Line for Full-Band 60-GHz Transceiver

A low-noise self-oscillating mixer (SOM) operating from 7.8 to 8.8 GHz is described in this paper. Three different components, the oscillator, the mixer core, and the LNA transconductor stage are assembled in a stacked configuration with full dc current-reuse from the VCO to the mixer to the LNA. The LC-tank oscillator also functions as a double-balanced IF load to the low-noise mixer core. A theoretical expression is given for the conversion gain of the SOM taking into account the time-varying nature of the IF load impedance. Measurements show that the SOM has a minimum DSB noise figure of 4.39 dB and a conversion gain of 11.6 dB. Its input P1 dB is - 13.6 dBm and its output P1 dB is - 2.97 dBm, while its IIP3 and OIP3 are - 8.3 dBm and + 3.3 dBm respectively. The chip consumes 12 mW of dc power and it occupies an area of 0.47 mm2 without pads.

A Low-Noise Self-Oscillating Mixer Using a Balanced VCO Load

A downconversion double-balanced oscillator mixer using 0.18-mum CMOS technology is proposed in this paper. This oscillator mixer consists of an individual mixer stacked on a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The stacked structure allows entire mixer current to be reused by the VCO cross-coupled pair to reduce the total current consumption of the individual VCO and mixer. Using individual supply voltages and eliminating the tail current source, the stacked topology requires 1.0-V low supply voltage. The oscillator mixer achieves a voltage conversion gain of 10.9 dB at 4.2-GHz RF frequency. The oscillator mixer exhibits a tuning range of 11.5% and a single-sideband noise figure of 14.5 dB. The dc power consumption is 0.2 mW for the mixer and 2.94 mW for the VCO. This oscillator mixer requires a lower supply voltage and achieves a higher operating frequency among recently reported Si-based self-oscillating mixers and mixer oscillators. The mixer in this oscillator mixer also achieves a low power consumption compared with recently reported low-power mixers

A low-power oscillator mixer in 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS technology

A downconversion double-balanced oscillator mixer using 0.18- m CMOS technology is proposed in this paper. This oscillator mixer consists of an individual mixer stacked on a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The stacked structure allows entire mixer current to be reused by the VCO cross-coupled pair to reduce the total current consumption of the individual VCO and mixer. Using individual supply voltages and eliminating the tail current source, the stacked topology requires 1.0-V low supply voltage. The oscillator mixer achieves a voltage conversion gain of 10.9 dB at 4.2-GHz RF frequency. The oscillator mixer exhibits a tuning range of 11.5% and a single-sideband noise figure of 14.5 dB. The dc power consumption is 0.2 mW for the mixer and 2.94 mW for the VCO. This oscillator mixer requires a lower supply voltage and achieves a higher operating frequency among recently reported Si-based self-oscillating mixers and mixer oscil- lators. The mixer in this oscillator mixer also achieves a low power consumption compared with recently reported low-power mixers. Index Terms—Oscillator mixer, self-oscillating mixer (SOM), voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO).

A Low-Power Oscillator Mixer in

A V-band fully integrated complementary push-push VCO is first presented in 0.18- /spl mu/m bulk CMOS technologies. Thin-film microstrip (TFMS) lines are utilized in the circuit to reduce the conductive substrate effect. In order to lower the phase noise, complementary cross-coupled pairs are used to generate negative conductance. The measured phase noise at 1-MHz offset is about -97 dBc/Hz at 52.6 GHz and is -104 dBc/Hz at 26.3 GHz. To the authors' best knowledge, this complementary CMOS VCO achieves the lowest phase noise in comparison with other VCOs using standard bulk CMOS processes in V-band.

Chia-Chi Chang

Papers

A low-power oscillator mixer in 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS technology

A Low-Power Oscillator Mixer in

A low phase noise 52-GHz push-push VCO in 0.18-/spl mu/m bulk CMOS technologies