Low-power CMOS VCO with dual-band local oscillating signal outputs for 5/2.5-ghz wlan transceivers

The paper describes a novel low-power CMOS voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with dual-band local oscillating (LO) signal outputs for 5/2. 5-GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) transceivers. The VCO is based on an on-chip symmetrical spiral inductor and a differential varactor. The 2. 5-GHz quadrature LO signals are generated using the injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) technique. The ILFD structure is similar to the VCO structure with its wide tracking range. The design tool ASITIC was used to optimize all on-chip symmetrical inductors. The power consumption was kept low with differential LC tanks and the ILFD technique. The circuit was implemented in a 0.18-fim CMOS process. Hspice and SpectreRF simulations show the proposed circuit could generate low phase noise 5/2. 5-GHz dual band LO signals with a wide tuning range. The 2. 5-GHz LO signals are quadrature with almost no phase and amplitude errors. The circuit consumes less than 5. 3mW in the tuning range with a power supply voltage of 1. 5V. The die area is only 1. 0mm×1. 0mm.