Analysis and Minimization of Flicker Noise Up-Conversion in Voltage-Biased Oscillators

Traditional design of voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) can lead to unacceptable degradation of the 1/
f
³
phase-noise component when a broad tuning range is required. In this paper, the flicker noise up-conversion mechanisms in a voltage-biased topology are deeply investigated, providing general design guidelines for its mitigation. An improved VCO architecture is then introduced, where a segmented transconductor tailors the excess gain depending on the operating range to ensure that 1/
f
noise up-conversion remains minimal over the tuning range. The solution covers both fourth-generation and WiMAX 2.5-GHz bands and leads to a 10-dB reduction of the 1/
f
³
phase noise with respect to a traditional design without impairing the 1/
f
²
phase-noise performance.