Fast-Settling, Low Noise Ku Band Fundamental Bipolar VCO

This paper discusses fast-settling fundamental-output voltage-controlled oscillators in the Ku Band (15 to 18 GHz & 12 to 15 GHz), using silicon bipolar transistors and silicon varactor diodes. With these oscillators the output frequency settles within 2 µs to within +-1 MHz of the final frequency. Phase noise at 16.2 GHz was measured to be -93 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz from the carrier.