2-GHz RF front-end circuits in CMOS/SIMOX operating at an extremely low voltage of 0.5 V

2-GHz RF front-end circuits [low noise amplifier (LNA), mixer, and voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)] enabling 0.5-V operation are presented. The circuits were fabricated by 0.2-/spl mu/m fully depleted CMOS/SIMOX technology. The mixer has an LC-tuned folded structure to avoid stacking transistors. Undoped-channel MOSFETs are used in the VCO core and in a complementary source follower as output buffers for the mixer and the VCO. The noise figures of 3.5 dB (LNA) and 16.1 dB (mixer), IIP3 of -6-dBm (mixer), and phase noise of -110 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset (VCO) are achieved at a supply voltage of 1 V. They dissipate 2 mW (LNA), 4 mW (mixer), and 3 mW (VCO) at 0.5.