A Low-Flicker-Noise 30-GHz Class-F23 Oscillator in 28-nm CMOS Using Implicit Resonance and Explicit Common-Mode Return Path

Yizhe Hu*, Teerachot Siriburanon, Robert Bogdan Staszewski

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

85 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper presents a millimeter-wave (mmW) frequency generation stage aimed at minimizing phase noise (PN) via waveform shaping and harmonic extraction while suppressing flicker noise upconversion via proper harmonic terminations. A 2nd-harmonic resonance is assisted by a proposed embedded decoupling capacitor inside a transformer for explicit common-mode current return path. Class-F operation with 3rd-harmonic boosting and extraction techniques allow maintaining high quality factor of a 10-GHz tank at the 30-GHz frequency generation. We further propose a comprehensive quantitative analysis method of flicker noise upconversion mechanism exploiting latest insights into the flicker noise mechanisms in nanoscale short-channel transistors, and it is numerically verified against foundry models. The proposed 27.3- to 31.2-GHz oscillator is implemented in TSMC 28-nm CMOS. It achieves PN of -106 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset and figure-of-merit (FoM) of -184 dBc/Hz at 27.3 GHz. Its flicker phase-noise (1/f3) corner of 120 kHz is an order-of-magnitude better than currently achievable at mmW.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1977-1987
Number of pages11
JournalIEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits
Volume53
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • 30 GHz
  • explicit common-mode (CM) return path
  • fifth generation (5G) communication
  • flicker noise reduction
  • implicit resonance
  • impulse sensitivity function (ISF)
  • low phase noise (PN)
  • millimeter-wave (mmW)
  • oscillator
  • periodic transfer function (PXF)

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