Fully-integrated LC VCOs at RF on silicon

Fully integrated negative conductance voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) design examples at GHz frequencies in Si BiCMOS and CMOS technologies are provided. The advantages and shortcomings of the structures are briefly presented together with the associated design trade-offs. Phase noise of a CMOS VCO is calculated based on the Linear Time-Variant Impulse Sensitivity Function (ISF) theory and compared to the simulations. Experimental results of two fully integrated CMOS VCOs designed with 0.5 /spl mu/m and 0.35 /spl mu/m CMOS technologies at 2.2 GHz are given.