Design and optimization of a low noise 2.4 GHz CMOS VCO with integrated LC tank and MOSCAP tuning

Author

Ham, Donhee ; Hajimiri, Ali

Author_Institution

California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA, USA

Volume

1

fYear

2000

fDate

2000

Firstpage

331

Abstract

A 2.4 GHz LC voltage controlled oscillator is designed and optimized via linear programming and implemented in a 0.35 μm RF BiCMOS process technology. Our design methodology provides an insight to choosing design variables given several constraints such as voltage swing, tuning range and start-up condition. The on-chip spiral inductors used are modeled and optimized by a 3D inductor simulator. The inversion mode MOSCAP tuning is used to achieve 26% of tuning range. The measured phase noise is -121 dBc/Hz, -117 dBc/Hz and -115 dBc/Hz at 600 kHz offset from 1.91 GHz, 2.03 GHz and 2.60 GHz carriers, respectively. The VCO dissipates only 4 mA from a 2.5 V supply voltage

Keywords

CMOS analogue integrated circuits; UHF integrated circuits; UHF oscillators; circuit optimisation; circuit tuning; inductors; integrated circuit design; integrated circuit noise; linear programming; phase noise; voltage-controlled oscillators; 0.35 micron; 1.91 to 2.6 GHz; 2.4 GHz; 2.5 V; 3D inductor simulator; 4 mA; LC VCO; LC voltage controlled oscillator; MOSCAP tuning; RF BiCMOS process technology; VCO optimization; design methodology; design variables selection; inductor modelling; inductor optimization; integrated LC tank; inversion mode tuning; linear programming; low noise CMOS VCO; onchip spiral inductors; phase noise; start-up condition; tuning range; voltage swing; BiCMOS integrated circuits; CMOS technology; Design methodology; Design optimization; Inductors; Linear programming; Radio frequency; Tuning; Voltage; Voltage-controlled oscillators;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Circuits and Systems, 2000. Proceedings. ISCAS 2000 Geneva. The 2000 IEEE International Symposium on

Conference_Location

Geneva

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5482-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ISCAS.2000.857097

Filename

857097