A 173-200 GHz Quadrature Voltage-Controlled Oscillator in 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS

This work presents a fundamental-mode voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) realized in a 130nm SiGe BiCMOS process for operation up to 200 GHz. The implemented topology is derived from a feedback phase shifter design, which includes a wideband passive polyphase filter based on 90 degrees and 180 degrees transmission line couplers and a variable-gain active combiner. The fabricated circuit achieves a very large frequency tuning range of 173 - 200 GHz with a phase noise down to -85 dBc/Hz at 10MHz offset around 188 GHz. As an unique feature this topology allows the simultaneous generation of 90 degrees quadrature signals, which are amplified by an additional single-stage output buffer. The power level of both output signals over a wide bandwidth is -3dBm each, with a total dc power consumption of 27.7mW for the oscillator core and 10.3mW per buffer.