A 23 GHz Low-Phase-Noise Transformer-Feedback VCO in 22nm FD-SOI with a FOMT of 191dBc/Hz

A 23 GHz Low-Phase-Noise Transformer-Feedback VCO in 22nm FD-SOI with a FOMT of 191dBc/Hz ■

Zhiwei Zong, Zhiwei Zong, Zhiwei Zong, Cheng-Hsueh Tsai, Cheng-Hsueh Tsai, Cheng-Hsueh Tsai, Federico Pepe, Federico Pepe, Federico Pepe, Piet Wambacq, Piet Wambacq, Piet Wambacq, Giovanni Mangraviti, Giovanni Mangraviti, Giovanni Mangraviti, Yao Liu, Yao Liu, Yao Liu, Qixian Shi, Qixian Shi, Qixian Shi, Bertrand Parvais, Bertrand Parvais, Bertrand Parvais

Abstract ■

This paper presents a 23GHz low-phase-noise transformer-feedback differential VCO with a 27\% frequency tuning range. By adding a source-bridging capacitor between the sources of the transistors that are connected to the two feedback transformers, the phase noise at 1/f 3 region is improved due to the suppression of flicker noise up-conversion. The proposed VCO is implemented in a 22nm FD-SOI technology with a low supply voltage of 0.65V. The measured phase noise is -106 dBc/Hz at 1MHz frequency offset with power consumption of 11.5mW, and the corresponding FOM and FOMT are 182.6 dBc/Hz and 191 dBc/Hz, respectively.