The Centre for Integrated Circuit & Systems at Singapores Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has successfully designed and manufactured a 10GHz voltage control oscillator (VCO) on Singapore foundry Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturings 0.18micron RF CMOS semiconductor process.

Most 10GHz VCO circuits commercially available today are manufactured using
more costly silicon germanium processes. High-speed, high-performance VCOs
are integral RF components used in rapid data transmission by wireless and
optical communication networks such as synchronous optical network (SONET)
and synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) applications.

The VCO designed by NTU is claimed as the first to adopt a complementary
cross-coupled structure for high-frequency low-phase noise oscillators.

NTUs designers were able to overcome the battle between signal speed and
noise partly through the high-performance, low-noise and low-power
consumption capabilities of Chartereds RF CMOS manufacturing platform.

The designers optimised four critical parameters to achieve the 10GHz
frequency and a wide tuning range of 1.1GHz. The power consumption of the
core VCO is only 5.8mW and 22.6mW with buffer. The circuit demonstrates low
phase noise of -91dBc/Hz at 100kHz-offset frequency.

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