A Sturdy on WLAN RFIC VCO based on InGaP/GaAs HBT

InGaP/GaAs HBT를 이용한 WLAN 용 Low Noise RFIC VCO

This paper presents fully integrated 5 GHz band low phase noise LC tank VCO. The implemented VCO is tuned by integrated PN diode and tuning rage is $5.01{\sim}5.30$ GHz under $0{\sim}3 V$ control voltage. For good phase noise performance, LC filtering technique, common in Si CMOS process, is used, and to prevent degradation of phase noise performance by collector shot-noise and to reduce power dissipation the HBT is biased at low collector current density bias point. The measured phase noise is -87.8 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset frequency and -111.4 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency which is good performance. Moreover phase noise is improved by roughly 5 dEc by LC filter. It is the first experimental result in InGaP/GaAs HBT process. The figure of merit of the fabricated VCO with LC filter is -172.1 dBc/Hz. It is the best result among 5 GHz InGaP HBT VCOs. Moreover this work shows lower DC power consumption, higher output power and more fixed output power compared with previous 4, 5 GHz band InGaP HBT VCOs.