A Wide Tuning Range Voltage Controlled Oscillator Using Common-Base Configuration and Inductive Feedback
Journal
IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letter
Journal Volume
19
Journal Issue
10
Pages
653--655
Date Issued
2009-10
Author(s)
Abstract
Usually the tuning range of voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is much narrower than the possible resonant frequency range of the tank at different tuning voltages. In this letter we analyze the traditional common-base type VCO, give a simple but useful insight about the mechanism behind the topology, and verified the conclusions with a 2 μm heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) VCO. The results show that with the CB configuration, proper feedback inductor and wide tuning range varactor, the tuning range can be almost the same as the resonant frequency range of the tank at different tuning voltages. A wideband voltage controlled oscillator using a commercial 2 μ HBT echnology is designed, fabricated and measured. The varactor with wide range of capacitance is used to achieve 53.33% measured tuning range from 9.46 to 16.34 GHz. The measured phase noise at 1 MHz offset is between -90 and -10 dBc/Hz. The total chip size is 1 mm2 including all testing pads, while the core area is 0.64 mm2. The VCO is suitable for wideband application such as in measurement equipment or astronomical exploring telescopes. © 2009 IEEE.
Subjects
Heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT); RFIC; Voltage controlled oscillator (VCO); Wideband
SDGs
Type
journal article