Optimized Phase Noise of LC VCO Using an Asymmetrical Inductance Tank

  • Yoon Jae-Ho (Department of Electronic Engineering, Kwangwoon University) ;
  • Shrestha Bhanu (Department of Electronic Engineering, Kwangwoon University) ;
  • Koh Ah-Rah (Department of Electronic Engineering, Kwangwoon University) ;
  • Kennedy Gary P. (Department of Electronic Engineering, Kwangwoon University) ;
  • Kim Nam-Young (Department of Electronic Engineering, Kwangwoon University)
  • Published : 2006.03.01

Abstract

This paper describes fully integrated low phase noise MMIC voltage controlled oscillators(VCOs). The Asymmetrical Inductance Tank VCO(AIT-VCO), which optimize the shortcoming of the previous tank's inductance optimization approach, has lower phase noise performance due to achieving higher equivalent parallel resistance and Q value of the tank. This VCO features an output power signal in the range of - 11.53 dBm and a tuning range of 261 MHz or 15.2 % of its operating frequency. This VCO exhibits a phase noise of - 117.3 dBc/Hz at a frequency offset of 100 kHz from carrier. A phase noise reduction of 15 dB was achieved relative to only one spiral inductor. The AIT-VCO achieved low very low figure of merit of -184.6 dBc/Hz. The die area, including buffers and bond pads, is $0.9{\times}0.9mm^2$.

Keywords

References

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