Dual-mode voltage controlled oscillator using integrated variable inductors

• US 7,268,634 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Luong, Howard Cam, Leung, Lai Kan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US10/927,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20060055470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 331/181, 331/36.L
• US Class Current: 331/36.00L
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2201/0208 the means being an element with a variable capacitance, e.g. capacitance diode
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1215 the current source or degeneration circuit being in common to both transistors of the pair, e.g. a cross-coupled long-tailed pair
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1228 the amplifier comprising one or more field effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1256 the means comprising a variable inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1265 switched capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1296 the feedback circuit comprising a transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 3/20 of single resonant circuit by varying inductance only or capacitance only

Abstract

A novel form of an integrated variable inductor uses an on-chip transformer together with a variable capacitor. The variable capacitor can either be a varactor or a switched capacitor array and is connected to the secondary coil of the transformer. By changing the capacitance at the secondary coil of a transformer, the equivalent inductance looking into the primary coil of the transformer can be adjusted. With another capacitor in parallel to the primary coil, two different modes of resonance inherently exist, and a very wide frequency tuning range can be achieved by combining the two modes.

Claims

1. A dual-mode voltage controlled oscillator including a dual-mode variable inductor comprising a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil, wherein a variable capacitance is provided in parallel to said secondary coil and a fixed capacitor or a variable capacitor is provided in parallel with the primary coil;

and a negative gm cell connected to said primary coil for cancellation of a loss in the variable inductor, wherein, by changing the variable capacitance in parallel with the secondary coil of the transformer, a resonant frequency of the dual-mode voltage controlled oscillator changes from a from a first frequency mode to a second frequency mode.

2. The voltage controlled oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said variable capacitance provided in parallel with said secondary coil comprises a varactor.

3. The voltage controlled oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said variable capacitance provided in parallel with said secondary coil comprises a switched capacitor array.

4. The voltage controlled oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said primary coil and said secondary coil are coupled together by a mutual inductance.

5. The voltage controlled oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein a second negative gm cell is connected to the secondary coil.

6. The voltage controlled oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein a coupling enhancement circuit is connected to the secondary coil.

7. The voltage controlled oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein transformer feedback from a drain of a transistor to a source of the transistor is used to enhance the oscillation.

8. The voltage controlled oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein transformer feedback from a gate of a transistor to a source of the transistor is used to enhance the oscillation.