Optimized 2.4 GHz voltage controlled oscillator with a high-Q MWCNT network-based pulse-shaped inductor

This paper focuses on the use of a high-Q Multi-Wall Carbon Nano-Tube (MWCNT)-based pulse-shaped inductor in the implementation of an LC differential voltage-controlled oscillator (LCVCO). The topology integrates a micro-scaled capacitor and a MWCNT network-based inductor together with the CMOS circuits. The CMOS circuits were designed to enhance the quality factor and to control the oscillation amplitude. The high quality factor of the inductor improves the overall quality factor and phase noise of the oscillator. The measurement results show that the LCVCO operates at 2.3982GHz and achieves a phase noise of -133.3dBc/Hz at 1MHz away from the carrier frequency. The VCO produces frequency tuning from 2.07GHz to 2.77GHz (29.16%) with an ultra low power consumption of 1.7mW from a 0.6V supply voltage. The output power level of the VCO is -10dBm, with an improved quality factor of 49.

[1]  B S Sreeja,et al.  Design and Modeling of a Wide Tuning Range, High Q, Low Supply Voltage MEMS Based Tunable Capacitor for Wireless Communication Applications , 2011, 2011 11th International Conference The Experience of Designing and Application of CAD Systems in Microelectronics (CADSM).

[2]  S. Wong,et al.  Physical modeling of spiral inductors on silicon , 2000 .

[3]  Bingxue Shi,et al.  Integrated 2.4 GHz CMOS quadrature VCO with symmetrical spiral inductors and differential varactors , 2002, 2002 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC) Symposium. Digest of Papers (Cat. No.02CH37280).

[4]  Y. Massoud,et al.  Predicting the Performance of Low-Loss On-Chip Inductors Realized Using Carbon Nanotube Bundles , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[5]  C. Xu,et al.  Carbon Nanomaterials for Next-Generation Interconnects and Passives: Physics, Status, and Prospects , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[6]  Geert Van der Plas,et al.  Ultra-wide-band transmitter for low-power wireless body area networks: design and evaluation , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers.

[7]  G.K. Fedder,et al.  MEMS-enabled reconfigurable VCO and RF filter , 2004, 2004 IEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC) Systems. Digest of Papers.

[8]  Howard C. Luong,et al.  A 0.8-V 4.9-mW 1.2-GHz CMOS Fractional-N Frequency Synthesizer for UHF RFID Readers , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers.

[9]  C. Patrick Yue,et al.  Tunable on-chip inductors up to 5 GHz using patterned permalloy laminations , 2005, IEEE InternationalElectron Devices Meeting, 2005. IEDM Technical Digest..

[10]  H. Samavati,et al.  Reduction of Inductive Crosstalk Using Quadrupole Inductors , 2009, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[11]  Michiel Steyaert,et al.  Wireless CMOS Frequency Synthesizer Design , 1998 .

[12]  K. Banerjee,et al.  High-frequency effects in carbon nanotube interconnects and implications for on-chip inductor design , 2008, 2008 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting.

[13]  Piljae Park,et al.  Variable inductance multilayer inductor with MOSFET switch control , 2004 .

[14]  Ali Hajimiri,et al.  Concepts and methods in optimization of integrated LC VCOs , 2001, IEEE J. Solid State Circuits.

[15]  Qizheng Gu,et al.  RF System Design of Transceivers for Wireless Communications , 2005 .

[16]  A. Dec,et al.  Micromachined electro-mechanically tunable capacitors and their applications to RF IC's , 1998 .

[17]  Songcheol Hong,et al.  Fully integrated low phase-noise VCOs with on-chip MEMS inductors , 2003 .

[18]  Arthur Nieuwoudt,et al.  Modeling and design challenges and solutions for carbon nanotube-based interconnect in future high performance integrated circuits , 2006, JETC.

[19]  K. Masu,et al.  Wide-range RF variable inductor on Si CMOS chip with MEMS actuator , 2004, 34th European Microwave Conference, 2004..

[20]  Howard C. Luong,et al.  A 1V 4 GHz-and-10 GHz transformer-based dual-band quadrature VCO in 0.18 μm CMOS , 2007, 2007 IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference.

[21]  Changsik Yoo,et al.  5-GHz Low-Phase Noise CMOS Quadrature VCO , 2006, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[22]  Shey-Shi Lu,et al.  A low-power low-phase-noise LC VCO with MEMS Cu inductors , 2005 .

[23]  A. Thie,et al.  Fabrication and Biocompatibility of Carbon Nanotube-Based 3D Networks as Scaffolds for Cell Seeding and Growth , 2004 .

[24]  B. Boser,et al.  A micromachine-based RF low-noise voltage-controlled oscillator , 1997, Proceedings of CICC 97 - Custom Integrated Circuits Conference.

[25]  K. Banerjee,et al.  On the Applicability of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as VLSI Interconnects , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology.

[26]  Chien-Cheng Chen,et al.  Low-Phase Noise Hartley Differential CMOS Voltage Controlled Oscillator , 2007, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[27]  Hong-Sing Kao,et al.  Low-power fully integrated and tunable CMOS RF wireless receiver for ISM band consumer applications , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers.

[28]  Michal M. Okoniewski,et al.  RF MEMs tunable inductor using bimorph microactuators , 2005, 2005 International Conference on MEMS,NANO and Smart Systems.

[29]  Darrin J. Young,et al.  A micromachined RF low phase noise voltage‐controlled oscillator for wireless communications , 2001 .

[30]  Tae Jae Lee,et al.  Magnetic properties of Fe catalysts included in carbon nanotubes , 2004 .

[31]  Hong-Yeh Chang,et al.  A 22-GHz push-push CMOS oscillator using micromachined inductors , 2005, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[32]  M. S. Lu,et al.  A 5.8-GHz VCO with CMOS-compatible MEMS inductors , 2007 .

[33]  Liang-Hung Lu,et al.  A High-Performance CMOS Voltage-Controlled Oscillator for Ultra-Low-Voltage Operations , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[34]  N. Itoh,et al.  Twisted Inductor VCO for Supressing On-chip Interferences , 2007, 2007 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference.

[35]  M.E. Zaghloul,et al.  CMOS Micromachined Inductors With Structure Supports for RF Mixer Matching Networks , 2008, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[36]  H. Sjoland,et al.  An ultra low voltage 2.4GHz CMOS VCO , 2002, Proceedings RAWCON 2002. 2002 IEEE Radio and Wireless Conference (Cat. No.02EX573).

[37]  Xi-Qing Sun,et al.  A micro variable inductor chip using MEMS relays , 1997, Proceedings of International Solid State Sensors and Actuators Conference (Transducers '97).