Technological Scaling and Impact on UWB Configurable RF Signal Source

The coexistence of second and third generation wireless system requires multi-mode, multi-band and multi-standard mobile communication systems, therefore, requiring a configurable RF signal source (VCO) that may replace several narrow band VCO modules by a single low noise ultrawideband (UWB) adaptable RF signal source. The performance of the wireless communication systems strongly depends on the speed of devices, and technological scaling has driven this momentum towards achieving faster speed and high level of integration. This paper investigates the impact of device scaling on phase noise of the UWB (2-8GHz) configurable coupled N-Push voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) in SiGe HBT, which has recently emerged as a strong contender for RF and mixed signal applications.