Q-band VCO and injection-locked buffer for 77-GHz automotive radar system in 0.13-µm CMOS

This paper includes Q-band VCO and high output power injection-locked buffer for 77-GHz FMCW radar system in 0.13-µm CMOS process. The center frequency of the proposed VCO is 34.75-GHz with 1.6% tuning range. The measured phase noise performance shows −102.43 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset frequency. The measured maximum single output power is 5.2 dBm and the ideal differential output power is expected to be 8.2 dBm, owing to the injection-locked buffer with a high driving capability. The fabricated chip size is 0.51 × 0.13 mm². The power consumption of the VCO core and the injection-locked buffer are 10.8 mW and 50.4 mW from a 1.2 V supply, respectively.