Design of Multi-layers DGS Resonator for Phase Noise Improvement of K-Band VCOs in 0.18 μm CMOS Technology

Abstract

A novel technique for a low phase noise and compact K-band Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) using multi-layers DGS resonator is proposed. The proposed DGS resonator realizes an additional series resonance at the higher side of parallel resonance frequency, and this results in improving both the active and loaded quality factor of the resonator. The proposed resonator has active quality factor of130 and a compact size of 0.009mm2 (0.000459λ2. Using the proposed DGS resonator in the VCO causes 9 dB improvement in the phase noise compared the VCO implemented using the conventional LC resonator. Two VCOs are designed using the method to illustrate the effect of the series resonance. The first VCO is designed three layers DGS resonator and the other VCO using two layers DGS resonator. The designs are implemented in 0.18 μm CMOS technology and consume 2.9 mW power, and from the post layout results, the first proposed VCO oscillates from 19.6 to 21.3 GHz (8.3 %) and has a phase noise of-113.2 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency, and this results in the figure of merit (FoM) and FoM taking account of the tuning range to be -194.4 and -192.7 dB, respectively. The second VCO has a tuning range of 6.1 % and phase noise of -114 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz offset at 19.6 GHz oscillation.