• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.207-212
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• 2013

A new CMOS voltage-bias differential LC voltage-controlled oscillator (LC-VCO) with active source degeneration is proposed. The proposed degeneration technique preserves the quality factor of the LC-tank which leads to improvement in phase noise of VCO oscillators. The proposed VCO shows the high figure of merit (FOM) with large tuning range, low power, and small chip size compared to those of conventional voltage-bias differential LC-VCO. The proposed VCO implemented in 0.18-${\mu}m$ CMOS shows the phase noise of -118 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset oscillating at 5.03 GHz, tuning range of 12%, occupies 0.15 $mm^2$ of chip area while dissipating 1.44 mW from 0.8 V supply.

• 한국전자파학회논문지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.177-182
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• 2007

본 논문은 InGaP/GaAs HBT 공정을 통해 제작한 적응성궤환 잡음제거시스템용 낮은 위상잡음을 갖는 LC 차동 전압제어 발진기를 제안합니다. 전압제어 발진기는 필터링 기술을 포함한 향상된 공진 탱크 구조를 갖습니다. 비대칭 인덕터 대칭 캐패시터 구조로 제안된 전압제어 발진기의 출력 가변 범위는 207 MHz입니다. 출력 전력은 balun과 케이블 손실을 포함하여 -6.68 dBm입니다. 10 kHz, 100 kHz, 1 MHz에서의 위상잡음은 각각 -102.02, -112.04 그리고 -130.4 dBc/Hz입니다. 이 전압제어 발진기는 총 $0.9{\times}0.9mm^2$ 면적 내에 집적화되었습니다.

• ETRI Journal
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.473-483
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• 2005

In this paper, we propose two LC voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) that improve both phase noise and tuning range. With both 1/f induced low-frequency noise and low-frequency thermal noise around DC or around harmonics suppressed significantly by the employment of a current-current negative feedback (CCNF) loop, the phase noise in the CCNF LC VCO has been improved by about 10 dB at 6 MHz offset compared to the conventional LC VCO. The phase noise of the CCNF VCO was measured as -112 dBc/Hz at 6 MHz offset from 5.5 GHz carrier frequency. Also, we present a bandwidth-enhanced LC VCO whose tuning range has been increased about 250 % by connecting the varactor to the bases of the cross-coupled pair. The phase noise of the bandwidth-enhanced LC-tank VCO has been improved by about 6 dB at 6 MHz offset compared to the conventional LC VCO. The phase noise reduction has been achieved because the DC-decoupling capacitor Cc prevents the output common-mode level from modulating the varactor bias point, and the signal power increases in the LC-tank resonator. The bandwidth-enhanced LC VCO represents a 12 % bandwidth and phase noise of -108 dBc/Hz at 6 MHz offset.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.83-87
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• 2004

Phase noise performance and current consumption of Radio Frequency (RF) Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) are largely dependent on the Quality (Q) factor of inductor-capacitor (LC) tank. Because the Q-factor of LC tank is determined by on-chip spiral inductor, we designed, analyzed, and modeled on-chip differential inductor to enhance differential Q-factor, reduce current consumption and save silicon area. The simulated inductance is 3.3 nH and Q-factor is 15 at 2 GHz. Self-resonance frequency is as high as 13 GHz. To verify its use to RF applications, we designed 2 GHz differential LC VCO. The measurement result of phase noise is -112 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 100 kHz from a 2GHz carrier frequency. Tuning range is about 500 MHz (25%), and current consumption varies from 5mA to 8.4 mA using bias control technique. Implemented in $0.35-{\mu}m$ SiGe BiCMOS technology, the VCO occupies $400\;um{\times}800\;um$ of silicon area.

• Journal of electromagnetic engineering and science
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• 제4권4호
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• pp.168-174
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• 2004

A bandwidth-enhanced and phase noise-improved differential LC-tank VCO is proposed in this paper. By connecting the varactors to the bases of the cross-coupled transistors of the proposed LC-tank VCO, its input negative resistance has been widened. Also, the feedback capacitor Cc in the cross-coupling path of the proposed LC-tank VCO attenuates the output common-mode level modulated by the low-frequency noise because the modulated common-mode level jitters the varactor bias point and degrades phase noise. Compared with the fabricated conventional LC-tank VCO, the proposed LC-tank VCO demonstrates $200\;\%$ enhancement in tuning range, and 6 - dB improvement in phase noise at 6 MHz offset frequency from 5.4-GHz carrier. We achieved the phase noise of - 106 dBc/Hz at 6 MHz offset, and $10\;\%$ tuning range from the proposed LC-tank VCO. The proposed LC-tank VCO consumes 12 mA at 2.5 V supply voltage.

• ETRI Journal
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.518-526
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• 2012

This paper proposes LC voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) phase-locked loop (PLL) and ring-VCO PLL topologies with low-phase noise. Differential control loops are used for the PLL locking through a symmetrical transformer-resonator or bilaterally controlled varactor pair. A differential compensation mechanism suppresses out-band spurious tones. The prototypes of the proposed PLL are implemented in a CMOS 65-nm or 45-nm process. The measured results of the LC-VCO PLL show operation frequencies of 3.5 GHz to 5.6 GHz, a phase noise of -118 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz offset, and a spur rejection of 66 dBc, while dissipating 3.2 mA at a 1 V supply. The ring-VCO PLL shows a phase noise of -95 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz offset, operation frequencies of 1.2 GHz to 2.04 GHz, and a spur rejection of 59 dBc, while dissipating 5.4 mA at a 1.1 V supply.

• Journal of electromagnetic engineering and science
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.64-68
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• 2007

An InGaP/GaAs HBT based differential Colpitts voltage control oscillator(VCO) is presented in this paper. In the VCO core, two switching transistors are introduced to steer the core bias current to save power. An LC tank with an inductor quality factor(Q) of 11.4 is used to generate oscillation frequency. It has a superior phase noise characteristics of -130.12 dBc/Hz and -105.3 at 1 MHz and 100 kHz frequency offsets respectively from the carrier frequency(1.566 GHz) when supplied with a control voltage of 0 volt. It dissipates output power of -5.3 dBm. Two pairs of on-chip base collector (BC) diodes are used in the tank circuit to increase the VCO tuning range(168 MHz). This VCO occupies the area of $1.070{\times}0.90mm^2$ including buffer and pads.

• 대한전자공학회논문지SD
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• 제44권6호
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• pp.60-68
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• 2007

발진기를 구성하는 교차결합된 P형 및 N형 트랜지스터의 공통 소스 단자로부터 기본 발진주파수의 이차 고조파 신호를 차동으로 출력하는 전압조정발진기를 제안하였다. 공통소스단자의 임피던스를 최적화하고 발진기를 전압제한영역에서 동작시키면 차동 이차 고조파 신호가 모든 공정/온도/공급전압의 코너에서 진폭차와 위상차가 $0{\sim}1.6dB$ 이고 $+2.2^{\circ}{\sim}-5.6^{\circ}$ 범위 안에서 유지됨을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한 진폭/위상 오차를 보정할 수 있는 임피던스 튜닝 회로도 사용하였다. 제안된 구조를 검증하기 위해 5 GHz 차동 이차고조파를 발생하는 전압조정발진기를 $0.18-{\mu}m$ CMOS 공정을 통해 설계 제작하였다. 이차고조파의 차동출력의 차이인 에러 신호는 임피던스 튜닝 회로를 통하여 -70 dBm이라는 낮은 수준으로 측정되었다. 따라서 CMOS LC 전압조정발진기가 진폭차가 0.34 dB 이고 위상차가 $1^{\circ}$ 인 만족할만한 차동의 이차고조파 신호를 출력하고 있음을 확인하였다.

• 한국전기전자재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2008년도 하계학술대회 논문집 Vol.9
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• pp.501-503
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• 2008

This paper presents the design of a 2.4 GHz low phase noise fully integrated LC Voltage-Controlled-Oscillator (VCO) in $0.18{\mu}m$ CMOS technology. The VCO is without any tail bias current sources for a low phase noise and, in which differential varactors are adopted for the symmetry of the circuit. At the same time, the use of differential varactors pairs reduces the tuning range, i.e., the frequency range versus VTUNE, so that the phase noise becomes lower. The simulation results show the achieved phase noise of -138.5 dBc/Hz at 3 MHz offset, while the VCO core draws 3.9mA of current from a 1.8V supply. The tuning range is from 2.28GHz to 2.55 GHz.

• 한국전기전자재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2006년도 추계학술대회 논문집 Vol.19
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• pp.127-128
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• 2006

The proposed differential LC cross-coupled VCO is implemented in InGap/GaAs HBT process for an adaptive Global Positioning system(GPS) application. Two filtering capacitors are used at the base of output buffer amplifiers at the both sides of the core m order to improve phase noise characteristics. The VCO produced a phase noise of -133 dBc/Hz at 3MHz offset frequency from the carrier frequency of 1.489GHz and the second harmonic suppression is significantly suppresed up to -49dBc/Hz in simulation result. The three pairs of BC diodes are integrated m the tank circuit to increase the VCO Tunning range.