Optimization of SiGe HBT VCOs for wireless applications

Author

Johansen, Tom K. ; Larson, Lawrence E.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Univ. of California, San Diego, CA, USA

fYear

2003

Firstpage

273

Lastpage

276

Abstract

This paper describes the optimization of phase noise performance in fully integrated SiGe HBT differential LC-tuned voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) for wireless applications. An accurate expression for phase noise in SiGe HBT LC-tuned VCOs is presented which takes the nonlinear operation of the oscillator into account. Design methods are shown which minimize the different sources of phase noise toward the intrinsic limit set by the resonator quality factor. A set of 2 GHz SiGe HBT VCOs have been implemented in a 0.5 μm, 47 GHz SiGe BiCMOS process to provide experimental verification of the benefits of the design methods presented in this paper.

Keywords

BiCMOS analogue integrated circuits; Ge-Si alloys; UHF integrated circuits; UHF oscillators; circuit optimisation; circuit tuning; heterojunction bipolar transistors; integrated circuit design; phase noise; semiconductor materials; voltage-controlled oscillators; 0.5 micron; 2 GHz; SiGe; SiGe BiCMOS process; SiGe HBT VCO; design optimization; differential LC-tuned voltage controlled oscillator; nonlinear operation; phase noise; resonator quality factor; wireless communication; Design methodology; Germanium silicon alloys; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Integrated circuit noise; Low-frequency noise; Noise level; Phase noise; Silicon germanium; Tail; Voltage-controlled oscillators;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC) Symposium, 2003 IEEE

ISSN

1529-2517

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7694-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/RFIC.2003.1213942

Filename

1213942