CMOS LC Voltage-Controlled Oscillator Design Using Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Wire Inductor

Abstract

A new CMOS LC voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit design using multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) wire inductor in LC tank circuit is presented. The VCO is designed in TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS process. We have applied our recently reported one-dimensional fluid electronic transport model of multiwalled carbon nanotube interconnect in π-model of the inductor. We have studied the oscillation frequency and phase noise of CMOS LC VCO and compared the performance using MWCNT and Cu wire inductors as a function of the quality factor (Q). We have shown that the oscillation frequency of the CMOS LC VCO is increased due to high-Q of MWCNT wire inductor. We have also shown that the phase noise performance of VCO designed with MWCNT wire inductor is also considerably improved in comparison to that of VCO designed with conventional Cu wire inductor.