A packaged 1.1-GHz CMOS VCO with phase noise of-126 dBc/Hz at a 600-kHz offset

A packaged 1.1-GHz CMOS voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with measured p hase noise of -92, -112, and -126 dBc/Hz at 10-, 100-, and 600-kHz offsets is demonstrated. According to [1], these satisfy the GSM requirements, The extrapolated phase noise at a 3-MHz offset is -140 dBc/Hz. The power consum ption is 6.8 and 12.7 mW at V-DD = 1.5 and 2.7 V, respectively. The VCO is implemented in a low-cost 0,8 mu m foundry CMOS profess, which uses p(+) su bstrates with a p-epitaxial layer, Buried channel PMOS transistors are excl usively used for lower 1/f noise. The inductors for the LC tanks are! imple mented using a series combination of an on-chip spiral inductor, four bond wires, and two package leads to increase Q, This technique requires no extr a board space beyond that needed For the additional package leads.