The Design and Analysis of Fully-Monolithic RF Coupled-Voltage-Controlled-Oscillator 1-Dimensional Arrays in 0.18µm SiGe BiCMOS

Jerry Lopez*, Donald Lie**, J. Cothern***, Joseph Neff****, Brain K. Meadow*****
*,**,Department of Electrical and Computer Engg.,Texas Tech,University.,Lubbock,TX,U.S.A
***Scientist ,SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific in san Diego,CA,U.S.A.
****-*****SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific in san Diego,CA,U.S.A.
Periodicity:July - September'2008
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jee.2.1.324

Abstract

The analysis and design of integrated circuits (ICs) of fully monolithic 1-Dimensional (1-D) AC-coupled Voltage-Controlled-Oscillators (VCOs) networks useful for phase array antennas is presented. The fully-integrated RF VCO arrays integrate on-chip inductors, varactors, MOSFETs, BJTs, and biasing current sources and they each contain an odd number of VCOs AC-coupled through switchable resistor arrays. We designed, simulated and fabricated several these 1-D VCOx5 arrays in a production 0.18µm BiCMOS process (i.e., IBM 7HP). Our design can control the phasing of the on-chip VCO array by means of tuning the edge VCO elements and/or by varying the coupling strength via different resistor values. Circuit-level SPICE simulation shows promising results allowing phase and amplitude configurations across the array to offer high directivity and element-to-element phase tuning arrangement that can be achieved by simply manipulating the on-chip coupling network with edge VCOs tuning. Moreover, circuit simulation shows that some of these conditions allow a ~±20o coverage from broadside without the need for phase shifters. These AC-coupled 1-D VCO arrays, therefore, shows great potential for RF active antennas applications to perform wide angle beam steering for the highly used 1-2GHz S-band.

Keywords

Beam steering, Coupled-VCO array, RF active antenna, SiGe VCO, Voltage-Controlled-Oscillators (VCOs), Phase-Shifterless antenna

How to Cite this Article?

Jerry Lopez, Donald Lie , J. Cothern , Joseph Neff and Brain K. Meadow (2008). The Design and Analysis of Fully-Monolithic RF Coupled-Voltage-Controlled-Oscillator 1-Dimensional Arrays in 0.18µm SiGe BiCMOS. i-manager’s Journal on Electrical Engineering, 2(1), Jul-Sep 2008, Print ISSN 0973-8835, E-ISSN 2230-7176, pp. 6-13. https://doi.org/10.26634/jee.2.1.324

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