Improved quality-factor of 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS active inductor by a feedback resistance design

A novel CMOS active inductor approach, which can improve the quality-factor, was presented in this report. A cascode-grounded active inductor circuit topology with a feedback resistance was proposed, which can substantially improve its equivalent inductance and quality-factor. This feedback resistance active inductor was implemented by using a 0.18-/spl mu/m 1P6M CMOS technology, which demonstrates a maximum quality-factor of 70 with a 5.7-nH inductance at 1.55 GHz, where the self-resonant frequency is 2.5 GHz. The dc power consumption of this active inductor is less than 8 mW.     

A low-power active inductor with improved Q-factor and its application to phase shifter

This letter presents a low-power single-ended active inductor with its Q-factor enhanced by feedback. Without sacrificing the self-resonance frequency and increasing the DC power consumption of the main circuit, the feedback transistor introduces a negative resistance; therefore, high Q-factors can be achieved in a wide operating frequency range. The proposed inductor was designed in a 0.13 μm CMOS process and simulated using Cadence Spectre. The active area is ~4 μm × 5 μm. With ~0.1 mW power consumption, the designed active inductor shows a 17 GHz maximum self-resonance frequency and a 1–8 GHz peak-Q operating frequency range. Using this active inductor, a 3-bit digitally-controlled phase shifter was designed. The phase shifter can provide a phase shift range larger than 180° from 1.5 to 4 GHz and a return loss better than 10 dB.     

A 5.2 GHz low-voltage low-noise amplifier with 0.35 μm CMOS technology

A low-voltage CMOS low-noise amplifier (LNA) architecture is presented. We have used a TSMC 0.35?µm CMOS high-frequency model to design a fully integrated 1?V, 5.2?GHz two-stage CMOS low-noise amplifier for RF front-end applications. No off-chip element is needed and a conventional common-source with feedback technology is used in this circuit. The first stage of the LNA is the common-source with feedback structure and the output stage is a buffer which increases the gain somewhat. An interstage negative-impedance circuit is added between the two stages of the LNA to further enhance the overall gain and thus upgrade its performance. Mainly because of the finite Q of the inductor, the negative-impedance circuit used in this interstage can cancel the losses in the first-stage inductor load. The input and output matching network is matched to approximately 50?Ω. The simulation results show that the amplifier provides a gain of 9.48?dB, a noise figure of 4.08?dB, and draws 13.4?mW from a 1?V supply. The S11 and S22 are both lower than ?15?dB.     

一个高电源抑制比的有源电感射频放大电路

提出了一种使用有源电感的电路实现方案,可用于宽带无线收发机射频放大电路的设计中.分析了有源电感的阻抗与各元件取值的关系,设计了中心频点调节电路和具有鲁棒性的偏置电路,保证工艺偏差和电源电压波动对有源电感的阻抗具有很弱的影响.在SMIC 0.18-μm工艺下进行了电路设计和流片验证,测试结果表明,使用有源电感的射频放大电路,可以得到期望的射频信号,其中心频点的调节范围为0.5～2 GHz, 能够抵御高达0.8 V的电源偏差.     

单片集成CMOS光接收前端电路设计

文中采用SMIC 0.18μm CMOS工艺设计了适用于芯片间光互连的的接收机前端放大电路,将跨阻放大器(TIA)和限幅放大器(LA)集成于同一块芯片中.跨阻放大器采用调制型共源共栅(RGC)结构来提高其带宽,限幅放大器采用二阶有源反馈结构和有源电感负载来获得高的增益带宽积.整个接收机前端放大电路具有85dB中频增益,-3dB带宽为4.36GHz.芯片的面积为1mm×0.7mm,在1.8V电源电压下功耗为144mW.     

1.9GHz0.18μm CMOS低噪声放大器的设计

针对1.9GHzPHS和DECT无线接入系统的应用,提出了一种可工作于1.2V电压的基于源级电感负反馈共源共栅结构而改进的CMOS低噪声放大器,并对其电路结构、噪声及线性特性等主要性能进行分析。并与传统的低噪声放大器进行对比,该电路采用两级放大结构,通过加入电容和电感负反馈可以分别实现低功耗约束下的噪声优化和高的线性度。采用TSMC0.18μm CMOS工艺模型设计与验证,实验结果表明：该低噪声放大器能很好满足要求,且具有1.4dB的噪声系数和好的线性度,输入1dB压缩点-7.8dBm,增益11dB,功耗11mW。     

A Reconfigurable Low-Noise Amplifier Using a Tunable Active Inductor for Multistandard Receivers

A reconfigurable low-noise amplifier (LNA) based on a high-value active inductor (AI) is presented in this paper. Instead of using a passive on-chip inductor, a high-value on-chip inductor with a wide tuning range is used in this circuit and results in a decrease in the physical silicon area when compared to a passive inductor-based implementation. The LNA is a common source cascade amplifier with RC feedback. A tunable active inductor is used as the amplifier output load, and for input and output impedance matching, a source follower with an RC network is used to provide a 50 Ω impedance. The amplifier circuit has been designed in 0.18 µm CMOS process and simulated using the Cadence Spectra circuit simulator. The simulation results show a reconfigurable frequency from 0.8 to 2.5 GHz, and tuning of the frequency band is achieved by using a CMOS voltage controlled variable resistor. For a selected 1.5 GHz frequency band, simulation results show S ₂₁ (Gain) of 22 dB, S ₁₁ of ?18 dB, S ₂₂ of ?16 dB, NF of 3.02 dB, and a minimum NF (NFmin) of 1.7 dB. Power dissipation is 19.6 mW using a 1.8 V dc power supply. The total LNA physical silicon area is (200×150) µm².     

A simple CMOS-based inductor simulator and frequency performance improvement techniques

In this paper, a new CMOS grounded positive tunable inductor simulator based on using two simple CMOS transconductors and an inverting amplifier is presented. The introduced inductor simulator uses a grounded capacitor; accordingly, it is suitable for integrated circuit (IC) fabrication. In addition a CMOS circuit for realizing negative tunable resistor which can be used for parasitic cancellation in inductor simulators and consequently enhancing their frequency performances is developed. A novel method for providing high-frequency performance improvement of simulated inductors is also introduced. Simulation and experimental results are given to demonstrate the performance of the developed inductor simulator and validity of the proposed frequency performance improvement method.     

Performance analysis of a low power low noise tunable band pass filter for multiband RF front end

This paper presents a low power tunable active inductor and RF band pass filter suitable for multiband RF front end circuits. The active inductor circuit uses the PMOS cascode structure as the negative transconductor of a gyrator to reduce the noise voltage. Also, this structure provides possible negative resistance to reduce the inductor loss with wide inductive bandwidth and high resonance frequency. The RF band pass filter is realized using the proposed active inductor with suitable input and output buffer stages. The tuning of the center frequency for multiband operation is achieved through the controllable current source. The designed active inductor and RF band pass filter are simulated in 180 nm and 45 nm CMOS process using the Synopsys HSPICE simulation tool and their performances are compared. The parameters, such as resonance frequency, tuning capability, noise and power dissipation, are analyzed for these CMOS technologies and discussed. The design of a third order band pass filter using an active inductor is also presented.     

一种低功耗的高速光接收器跨阻前置电路设计

为了降低芯片面积和功耗,提出了一种10 Gb/s光接收器跨阻前置放大电路。该电路采用了两个带有可调共源共栅（RGC）输入的交叉有源反馈结构,其中的跨阻放大器未使用电感,从而减少了芯片的总体尺寸。该跨阻前置电路采用0.13μm CMOS工艺设计而成,数据速率高达10 Gb/s。测试结果表明,相比其他类似电路,提出的电路芯片面积和功耗更小,芯片面积仅为0.072mm2,当电源电压为1.3 V时,功率损耗为9.1 mW,实测平均等效输入噪声电流谱密度为20pA/（0.1-10）Hz,且-3dB带宽为6.9 GHz。     

低功耗CMOS低噪声放大器的分析与设计

基于TSMC 0.18μm CMOS工艺,设计了一种低功耗约束下的CMOS低噪声放大器。与传统的共源共栅结构相比,该电路在共源晶体管的栅源间并联一个电容,以优化噪声;并引入一个电感,与级间寄生电容谐振,以提高增益;通过减小晶体管的尺寸,实现了低功耗。模拟结果表明,在2.45 GHz工作频率下,增益大于14 dB,噪声系数小于1 dB,直流功耗小于2 mW。     

Lossless average inductor current sensor for CMOS integrated DC–DC converters operating at high frequencies

A novel average inductor current sensing circuit integrable in CMOS technologies is presented. It is designed for DC–DC converters using buck, boost, or buck-boost topologies and operating in continuous conduction mode at high switching frequencies. The average inductor current value is used by the DC–DC controllers to increase the light load power conversion efficiency (e.g., selection of the modulation mode, selection of the dynamic width of the transistors). It can also be used to perform the constant current charging phase when charging lithium-ion batteries, or to simply detect overcurrent faults. The proposed average inductor current sensing method is based on the lossless sensing MOSFET principle widely used in monolithic CMOS integrated DC–DC converters for measuring the current flowing through the power switches. It consists of taking a sample of the current flowing through the power switches at a specific point in time during each energizing and de-energizing cycle of the inductor. By controlling precisely the point in time at which this sample is taken, the average inductor current value can be sensed directly. The circuit simulations were done with the Cadence Spectre simulator. The improvements compared to the basic sensing MOSFET principle are a lower power consumption because no high bandwidth amplifier is required, and less noise emission because the sensing MOSFET is no more switched. Additionally, the novel average inductor current sensing circuit overcomes the low bandwidth limitation previously associated with the sensing MOSFET principle, thus enabling it to be used in DC–DC converters operating at switching frequencies up to 10 MHz and above.     

Sub-nH Inductor Modeling and Design in 90-nm CMOS Technology for Millimeter-Wave Applications

Inductor design is an important issue in millimeter-wave CMOS circuits. In these frequencies the required inductance is very small and hence special structure is required for inductors. The quality factor is the most important design parameter for these inductors, especially in CMOS process. To incorporate these inductors in circuit simulation, a simple lumped model is necessary. This work proposes a simple and accurate model, developed for design and optimization of such inductors. This model is based on quasi-transverse-electromagnetic-mode assumption. To increase the model accuracy we have separately modeled the short-end section of the inductor. Model parameters are calculated using reported analytic equations and some new empirical equations. Using this model we have designed and optimized a 250-pH inductor with different shield layers, for STMicroelectronics 90-nm digital CMOS process. The accuracy of the model parameters and the evaluation of the model has been carried out using 2-D and method-of-momentss electromagnetic solvers in Advanced Design System, with the substrate modeled using foundry design kit data.     

一种高增益低功耗CMOS LNA设计

采用TSMC0.18μmCMOS工艺,利用ADS2008软件仿真,设计了一种高增益的CMOS低噪声放大器。与传统的共源共栅结构相比,该电路在晶体管M3的栅源极处并入电容C1,以增加系统抗干扰能力;并在级间引入一并联电感和电容与寄生电容谐振,以提高增益。仿真结果表明,在2.4 GHz工作频率下,该电路的增益大于20 dB,噪声系数小于1 dB,工作电压为1.5 V,功耗小于5 mW,且输入输出阻抗匹配良好。     

A New Inductor Series-Peaking Technique for Bandwidth Enhancement of CMOS Current-Mode Circuits

This paper introduces a new inductor series-peaking technique for bandwidth enhancement of low-voltage CMOS current-mode circuits. The peaking inductor is in series with the capacitor constituting the dominant pole. It boosts the bandwidth by utilizing the resonance characteristics of LC networks. To reduce the value of the peaking inductor, a new negative current-current feedback mechanism is proposed. The employment of both inductive peaking and current feedback further increases the bandwidth. Both the inductor series-peaking and the current-current feedback do not affect the supply voltage and DC biasing conditions. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that a significant bandwidth enhancement is achieved.     

44 Gbit/s GaAs MESFET selector IC

A novel 2:1 selector circuit is described. To achieve high-speed operation, a parallel feedback circuit and inductor peaking were added to a conventional selector circuit. Furthermore, wide bandwidth buffers are carefully designed to cover the operation frequency of this selector circuit. The selector IC, fabricated with 0.1 μm class GaAs MESFETs, operated at up to 44 Gbit/s     

Compact, High-$Q$, and Low-Current Dissipation CMOS Differential Active Inductor

This letter presents an improved, compact, and tunable high-Q differential active inductor implemented in Silterra's industry standard 0.18 mum CMOS process. The improved differential active inductor demonstrates a Q ap 1000 at high frequency region. Low-current dissipation is achieved by reusing the current from the differential gyrator for stabilizer and negative impedance circuit. A replica bias circuit has been introduced to allow current-controlled inductance of the improved differential active inductor. Sensitivity of the improved differential active inductor to process variation is also included in this letter.     

A CMOS inverter-based class-AB pseudo-differential amplifier with current-mode common-mode feedback (CMFB)

This paper presents a CMOS inverter-based class-AB pseudo-differential amplifier comprising current-mode common-mode feedback (CMFB). The circuit employs two CMOS inverters and the complementary CMFB consisting of current-mode common-mode (CM) detector and transimpedance amplifier. The circuit has been designed using 0.18 μm CMOS technology and operates at 1 V supply. The simulation results demonstrate rail-to-rail operation with low CM gain (?15 dB). The power dissipation of the circuit is 102.5 μW.     

Wide tuning-range CMOS VCO based on a tunable active inductor

In this paper, a wide tuning-range CMOS voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with high output power using an active inductor circuit is presented. In this VCO design, the coarse frequency is achieved by tuning the integrated active inductor. The circuit has been simulated using a 0.18-µm CMOS fabrication process and presents output frequency range from 100 MHz to 2.5 GHz, resulting in a tuning range of 96%. The phase noise is –85 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz frequency offset. The output power is from –3 dBm at 2.55 GHz to +14 dBm at 167 MHz. The active inductor power dissipation is 6.5 mW and the total power consumption is 16.27 mW when operating on a 1.8 V supply voltage. By comparing this active inductor architecture VCO with general VCO topology, the result shows that this topology, which employs the proposed active inductor, produces a better performance.     

具有30dB增益和1-16GHz带宽的CMOS低噪声中频放大器

This paper presents a high-gain wideband low-noise IF amplifier aimed for the ALMA front end system using 90-nm LP CMOS technology.A topology of three optimized cascading stages is proposed to achieve a flat and wideband gain.Incorporating an input inductor and a gate-inductive gain-peaking inductor,the active shunt feedback technique is employed to extend the matching bandwidth and optimize the noise figure.The circuit achieves a flat gain of 30.5 dB with 3 dB bandwidth of 1-16 GHz and a minimum noise figure of 3.76 dB.Under 1.2 V supply voltage,the proposed IF amplifier consumes 42 mW DC power.The chip die including pads takes up 0.53 mm~2,while the active area is only 0.022 mm~2.