A Dual Control 3-Stage CSR-VCO with 73.69µW Core Power & -112.25 dBc/Hz Phase Noise with Optimum Area Consumption for RF Applications

This paper presents a meticulously designed Current Starved Ring Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (CSR-VCO) featuring dual control mechanisms. Experimental findings demonstrate that, the primary voltage control empowers the VCO to traverse a broad frequency spectrum from 3 MHz to 30 MHz, with a voltage control range of 0.28 V to 1.2 V. Additionally, the secondary control allows for precise tuning within an ultra-low KHz range. Experimental findings reveal that, with a primary control voltage of 475 mV and a secondary control voltage varying from 0 to 0.6 V, the VCO exhibits a noteworthy output frequency variation spanning from 13.41 MHz to 13.68 MHz, translating to a range of 270 kHz. Remarkably, this VCO excels in power efficiency, with nominal power consumption measuring a mere 73.69 µW. Furthermore, the VCO delivers impressive phase noise performance, registering at an excellent finding of -112.25 dBc/Hz @1MHz offset. Notably, this VCO is engineered to occupy a minimal area footprint, measuring only 0.252 nm
²
, ensuring optimum area utilization for RF applications. The proposed circuit was designed and implemented in Cadence Virtuoso using 90nm CMOS process technology.