This expanded and thoroughly revised edition of Thomas H. Lee's acclaimed guide to the design of gigahertz RF integrated circuits features a completely new chapter on the principles of wireless systems. The chapters on low-noise amplifiers, oscillators and phase noise have been significantly expanded as well. The chapter on architectures now contains several examples of complete chip designs that bring together all the various theoretical and practical elements involved in producing a prototype chip. First Edition Hb (1998): 0-521-63061-4 First Edition Pb (1998); 0-521-63922-0

The Design of CMOS Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuits: RF CIRCUITS THROUGH THE AGES

A fully integrated 20 GHz frequency source is implemented with a VCO and a doubler in a 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS process. A 10 GHz quadrature voltage controlled oscillator (QVCO) is implemented using a transformer-coupled resonator. The VCO can be tuned between 10.2 and 11.4 GHz and has low phase noise of -118.67 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency with 1.8 V power supply. The figure of merit (FOM) is 188 dB. The 20 GHz differential signal is generated by harmonics of quadrature signals of the VCO with a balanced frequency doubler. To increase the output power of the harmonics, pinch-off clipping is used without any buffers or DC level shifter, since the proposed VCO has RF signals with low DC level. The frequency multiplier, the output of which can be tuned between 19.8 and 22 GHz, has a low noise of - 111.67 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency. The phase noise of the multiplier is 7 dB higher than that of the VCO. The output power is -6.83 dBm and the VCO output power is -6 dBm.

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20 GHz integrated CMOS frequency sources with a quadrature VCO using transformers

Fully integrated 10-, 20-, and 40-GHz frequency sources are presented, which are implemented with a 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS process. A 10-GHz quadrature voltage-controlled oscillator (QVCO) is designed to have output with a low dc level, which can be effectively followed by a frequency multiplier. The proposed multipliers generate signals of 20 and 40 GHz using the harmonics of the QVCO. To have more harmonic power, a frequency doubler with pinchoff clipping is used without any buffers or dc-level shifters. The QVCO has a low phase noise of -118.67 dBc/Hz at a 1-MHz offset frequency with a 1.8-V power supply. The transistor size effect on phase noise is investigated. The frequency doubler has a low phase noise of -111.67 dBc/Hz at a 1-MHz offset frequency is measured, which is 7 dB higher than a phase noise of the QVCO. The doubler can be tuned between 19.8-22 GHz and the output is -6.83 dBm. A fourth-order frequency multiplier, which is used to obtain 40-GHz outputs, shows a phase noise of -102.0 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset frequency with the output power of -18.0 dBm. A large tuning range of 39.3-43.67 GHz (10%) is observed.

K- and Q-bands CMOS frequency sources with X-band quadrature VCO

Spreading sequences in active sensing

A new fully integrated, dual-band voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is presented. The VCO is implemented in 0.18?m CMOS technology with 1.8V supply voltage. The circuit allows the VCO to operate at two resonant frequencies with two LC tanks. This VCO is configured with 2.4 GHz and 4.8 GHz frequency bands with differential outputs. The dual-band VCO operates at 2.15GHz ~ 2.75GHz and 4.75GHz ~ 4.99GHz. The measured phase-noise performances of a dual band VCO are 121.45 and 118.49 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset at the frequencies of 2.4 and 4.8 GHz, respectively, while drawing 3.88 mA and 3.1 mA from a 1.8V supply.

A CMOS Dual-Band Voltage Controlled Oscillator

A wideband voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with a frequency range from 830 MHz to 2.4 GHz is presented. The VCO has two control inputs, one for continuous control of the output frequency and one for band switching, and two quadrature outputs. Based on a 0.25 /spl mu/m CMOS process, this VCO is simulated for the supply voltage of 2 V. A wide tuning range of 98% is obtained in two independent bands. The harmonic distortions are kept low enough within the entire frequency range. The phase noise is -105 dBc/Hz at 400 kHz offset for the oscillation frequency of 830 MHz, and -89 dBc/Hz at 400 kHz offset for the oscillation frequency of 2.42 GHz. The VCO has a gain of 745.6 MHz/V for its first band and 1.22 GHz/V for its second band. Accurate quadrature outputs are maintained throughout the entire frequency range, as needed in all modern transceiver architectures. Its 2nd harmonic is also reduced by a compensation circuit to less than -33 dB in the worst case at the frequency of 2.42 GHz

New wideband/dualband CMOS LC voltage-controlled oscillator

A differential voltage-controlled oscillator has been designed to operate in the 10 GHz band using a 0.25 /spl mu/m CMOS process and low Q integrated inductors. The low gain and low Q problems of the components are overcome by the deployment of the cascode configuration with negative conductance generation to enhance the loop gain and Q value. PMOS varactors are used for varying the oscillating frequency from 9.7 to 11.4 GHz. The phase noise at 400 kHz offset is from -101 dB/Hz at the low frequency end to -87 dB/Hz at the high frequency end.

R.Y. Zhao

Papers

New wideband/dualband CMOS LC voltage-controlled oscillator

Fully integrated 10 GHz CMOS VCO