A MMIC GaN HEMT Voltage-Controlled-Oscillator with High Tuning Linearity and Low Phase Noise

Abstract

This paper presents a MMIC GaN HEMT Voltage-Controlled-Oscillator (VCO). The VCO is tunable between 6.45-7.55 GHz with good tuning linearity, average output power about 1 dBm, and a good phase noise with little variation over the tuning range. For a bias of V d /I d = 6 V/33 mA, the measured phase noise is -98 dBc/Hz @ 100 kHz and -132 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz offset frequencies, respectively. To the author's best knowledge, this is the lowest phase noise reported for a VCO in GaN HEMT technology with comparable oscillation frequency and tuning range. The 1 MHz offset phase noise is also comparable to state-of-the-art GaAs-InGaP HBT VCOs with similar tuning range.Index Terms -Voltage-Controlled-Oscillator, MMIC, GaN, HEMT, phase noise.

A 24 GHz Sub-Harmonically Pumped Resistive Mixer in GaN HEMT Technology

“…Hence, at microwave frequencies, GaN technology is especially attractive for power amplifier applications [1]. In recent years, GaN HEMT also drew increasing attention from low phase noise, in particular far carrier phase noise, oscillator designs, since the devices show a great power handling capability and particularly high break-down voltage [2]. Aiming for a high power and low phase noise signal source at W-band, a desired integration is shown in Fig.…”

Enhancing performance of a InGaP/GaAs VCO by means of a switching architecture

“…Tunability over a wide frequency range, stability both in time and frequency domain and low sensitivity towards control signals are the main goals to achieve. Some interesting solutions have already been proposed in the literature [1][2][3][4] for the design of monolithic voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), but all of them exhibit some limits. These drawbacks usually rely on the technology process and a compromise solution is often necessary for the designer.…”