TY - GEN
T1 - A 0.049mm2 7.1-to-16.8GHz Dual-Core Triple-Mode VCO Achieving 200dB FoMA in 22nm FinFET
AU - Gong, Jiang
AU - Patra, Bishnu
AU - Enthoven, Luc
AU - van Staveren, Job
AU - Sebastiano, Fabio
AU - Babaie, Masoud
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - LC VCOs with low phase noise (PN) and an octave frequency-tuning range (FTR) are required for multistandard communication devices, software-defined radios, and wireline data links. A viable popular approach is to exploit multicore mode-switching VCOs for two reasons: (1) their PN improves linearly by in-phase coupling of N identical VCOs; (2) the resonant-mode switching enhances the VCO FTR without degrading the tank quality factor (Q) as no RF current ideally flows through lossy mode-selection switches. However, it is still challenging for dual-mode VCOs to achieve a competitive FoM while covering an octave FTR at oscillation frequencies (F_OSC) above 6GHz [1]. To enhance the number of oscillation modes to 3, [2] added a center-loop inductor (L_C) to a transformer, as shown in Fig. 9.2.1. However, a large FTR gap is measured, since the transformer windings should be strongly coupled to accommodate L_C, The authors of [3] and [4] realized a triple- and quad-mode operation, respectively, by coupling two individual transformer-based resonators (see Fig. 9.2.1). Apart from the large area penalty, the former needs an extra third winding (L_T) in each transformer that degrades the tank Q, while the latter used large, fixed coupling capacitors (C_M) that load the tank in two of the resonant modes, thus limiting the VCO FTR.
AB - LC VCOs with low phase noise (PN) and an octave frequency-tuning range (FTR) are required for multistandard communication devices, software-defined radios, and wireline data links. A viable popular approach is to exploit multicore mode-switching VCOs for two reasons: (1) their PN improves linearly by in-phase coupling of N identical VCOs; (2) the resonant-mode switching enhances the VCO FTR without degrading the tank quality factor (Q) as no RF current ideally flows through lossy mode-selection switches. However, it is still challenging for dual-mode VCOs to achieve a competitive FoM while covering an octave FTR at oscillation frequencies (F_OSC) above 6GHz [1]. To enhance the number of oscillation modes to 3, [2] added a center-loop inductor (L_C) to a transformer, as shown in Fig. 9.2.1. However, a large FTR gap is measured, since the transformer windings should be strongly coupled to accommodate L_C, The authors of [3] and [4] realized a triple- and quad-mode operation, respectively, by coupling two individual transformer-based resonators (see Fig. 9.2.1). Apart from the large area penalty, the former needs an extra third winding (L_T) in each transformer that degrades the tank Q, while the latter used large, fixed coupling capacitors (C_M) that load the tank in two of the resonant modes, thus limiting the VCO FTR.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85128324632&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/ISSCC42614.2022.9731752
DO - 10.1109/ISSCC42614.2022.9731752
M3 - Conference contribution
SN - 978-1-6654-2801-9
T3 - Digest of Technical Papers - IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference
SP - 152
EP - 154
BT - 2022 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, ISSCC 2022
A2 - Fujino, Laura C.
PB - IEEE
CY - Danvers
T2 - 2022 IEEE International Solid- State Circuits Conference (ISSCC)
Y2 - 20 February 2022 through 26 February 2022
ER -