Voltage controlled oscillator circuit, phase-locked loop circuit using the voltage controlled oscillator circuit, and semiconductor device provided with the same

• US 7,466,208 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Osada, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benny
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, RYAN
• Application Number:
  US11/498,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 331/16, 331/34, 331/57, 331/175, 331/177.R, 331/185, 331/186
• US Class Current: 331/57
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2005/00039 having four transistors serially
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2005/0013 Avoiding variations of delay due to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/133 using a chain of active delay devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/0995 the oscillator comprising a ring oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/18 using a frequency divider or counter in the loop H03L7/20, H03L7/22 take precedence

Abstract

A VCO circuit includes: a control portion to which a first voltage is inputted and from which a second voltage corresponding to the first voltage is outputted; a current source portion to which the second voltage is inputted and from which a current corresponding to the second voltage is outputted; and an oscillator circuit to which the current is inputted and from which a signal with a frequency in accordance with the current is outputted. The control portion includes an adjusting circuit which changes the second voltage in conjunction with fluctuation of a power supply voltage. Accordingly, fluctuation of the frequency Fo of an output signal of the VCO circuit can be suppressed even when the power supply voltage of the VCO circuit fluctuates.

Claims

1. A voltage controlled oscillator circuit comprising:

a control portion to which a first voltage is inputted and from which a second voltage corresponding to the first voltage is outputted;

a current source portion to which the second voltage is inputted and from which a current corresponding to the second voltage is outputted; and

an oscillator circuit to which the current is inputted and from which a signal with a frequency in accordance with the current is outputted,

wherein the control portion includes an adjusting circuit,

wherein the adjusting circuit changes the second voltage in accordance with change of a power supply voltage,

wherein the control portion includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor connected in series with the first transistor,

wherein the adjusting circuit includes the second transistor,

wherein the third transistor is diode-connected,

wherein a drain current of the third transistor is the sum of a drain current of the first transistor and a drain current of the second transistor,

wherein the first voltage is inputted to a gate of the first transistor,

wherein the second voltage is outputted from a drain of the first transistor,

wherein a third voltage is inputted to a gate of the second transistor,

wherein the third voltage changes in accordance with chance of the power supply voltage,

wherein both of the first transistor and the second transistor are n-channel transistors, and

wherein the third voltage decreases when the power supply voltage is increased, whereas the third voltage increases when the power supply voltage is decreased.

2. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting circuit decreases the second voltage when the power supply voltage increases, whereas increases the second voltage when the power supply voltage decreases.

3. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 1, wherein the second transistor forms a constant current source of supplying a constant current in accordance with the third voltage.

4. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 1, wherein by changing a rate of the drain current of the second transistor with respect to the drain current of the first transistor, a current gain of the voltage controlled oscillator circuit is adjusted.

5. A phase-locked loop circuit using the voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 1.

6. A phase-locked loop circuit comprising the voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 1, a frequency divider, a phase comparator, and a loop filter,

wherein a reference signal and an output of the frequency divider are inputted to the phase comparator,

wherein a phase difference between the reference signal and an output signal of the frequency divider is outputted,

wherein an output of the phase comparator is inputted to the loop filter, and the loop filter removes noise of the inputted signal to output,

wherein an output signal of the loop filter is inputted to the voltage controlled oscillator circuit, and

wherein an output of the voltage controlled oscillator circuit is inputted to the frequency divider, and the frequency divider decreases a frequency of the inputted signal to 1/N times (N is an arbitrary natural number) to output.

7. A semiconductor device wherein the phase-locked loop circuit according to claim 6 is provided.

8. A semiconductor device wherein the semiconductor device according to claim 7 is a wireless chip of performing wireless transmission and reception of data, a mobile phone, a cordless phone, or a wireless LAN.

9. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit comprising:

a control portion to which a first voltage is inputted and from which a second voltage corresponding to the first voltage is outputted;

a current source portion to which the second voltage is inputted and from which a current corresponding to the second voltage is outputted; and

an oscillator circuit to which the current is inputted and from which a signal with a frequency in accordance with the current is outputted,

wherein the control portion includes an adjusting circuit,

wherein the adjusting circuit changes the second voltage in accordance with change of a power supply voltage,

wherein the control portion includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor connected in series with the first transistor,

wherein the adjusting circuit includes the second transistor,

wherein the third transistor is diode-connected,

wherein a drain current of the third transistor is the sum of a drain current of the first transistor and a drain current of the second transistor,

wherein the first voltage is inputted to a gate of the first transistor,

wherein the second voltage is outputted from a drain of the first transistor,

wherein a third voltage is inputted to a gate of the second transistor,

wherein the third voltage changes in accordance with change of the power supply voltage, and

wherein the third voltage changes so as to decrease the drain current of the second transistor when the power supply voltage is increased, whereas the third voltage changes so as to increase the drain current of the second transistor when the power supply voltage is decreased.

10. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 9, wherein the adjusting circuit decreases the second voltage when the power supply voltage increases, whereas increases the second voltage when the power supply voltage decreases.

11. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 9, wherein the second transistor forms a constant current source of supplying a constant current in accordance with the third voltage.

12. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 9, wherein by changing a rate of the drain current of the second transistor with respect to the drain current of the first transistor, a current gain of the voltage controlled oscillator circuit is adjusted.

13. A phase-locked loop circuit using the voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 9.

14. A phase-locked loop circuit comprising the voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 9, a frequency divider, a phase comparator, and a loop filter,

wherein a reference signal and an output of the frequency divider are inputted to the phase comparator,

wherein a phase difference between the reference signal and an output signal of the frequency divider is outputted,

wherein an output of the phase comparator is inputted to the loop filter, and the loop filter removes noise of the inputted signal to output,

wherein an output signal of the loop filter is inputted to the voltage controlled oscillator circuit, and

wherein an output of the voltage controlled oscillator circuit is inputted to the frequency divider, and the frequency divider decreases a frequency of the inputted signal to 1/N times (N is an arbitrary natural number) to output.

15. A semiconductor device wherein the phase-locked loop circuit according to claim 14 is provided.

16. A semiconductor device wherein the semiconductor device according to claim 15 is a wireless chip of performing wireless transmission and reception of data, a mobile phone, a cordless phone, or a wireless LAN.

17. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit comprising:

a control portion to which a first voltage is inputted and from which a second voltage corresponding to the first voltage is outputted;

a current source portion to which the second voltage is inputted and from which a current corresponding to the second voltage is outputted; and

an oscillator circuit to which the current is inputted and from which a signal with a frequency in accordance with the current is outputted,

wherein the control portion includes an adjusting circuit,

wherein the adjusting circuit changes the second voltage in accordance with change of a power supply voltage,

wherein the control portion includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor connected in series with the first transistor, a fourth transistor, and a fifth transistor connected in series with the fourth transistor,

wherein the adjusting circuit includes the second transistor,

wherein the third transistor is diode-connected,

wherein the fifth transistor is diode-connected,

wherein the first transistor and the fifth transistor form a current mirror circuit,

wherein a drain current of the third transistor is the sum of a drain current of the first transistor and a drain current of the second transistor,

wherein the first voltage is inputted to a gate of the fourth transistor,

wherein the second voltage is outputted from a drain of the first transistor,

wherein a third voltage is inputted to a gate of the second transistor, and

wherein the third voltage changes in conjunction with fluctuation of the power supply voltage.

18. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 17, wherein the second transistor forms a constant current source of supplying a constant current in accordance with the third voltage.

19. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 17,

wherein both of the first transistor and the second transistor are p-channel transistors, and

wherein the third voltage increases when the power supply voltage is increased, whereas the third voltage decreases when the power supply voltage is decreased.

20. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 17, wherein the third voltage changes so as to decrease the drain current of the second transistor when the power supply voltage is increased, whereas the third voltage changes so as to increase the drain current of the second transistor when the power supply voltage is decreased.

21. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 17, wherein by changing a rate of the drain current of the second transistor with respect to the drain current of the first transistor, a current gain of the voltage controlled oscillator circuit is adjusted.

22. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 17, wherein the adjusting circuit decreases the second voltage when the power supply voltage increases, whereas increases the second voltage when the power supply voltage decreases.

23. A phase-locked loop circuit using the voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 17.

24. A phase-locked loop circuit comprising the voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 17, a frequency divider, a phase comparator, and a loop filter,

wherein a reference signal and an output of the frequency divider are inputted to the phase comparator,

wherein a phase difference between the reference signal and an output signal of the frequency divider is outputted,

wherein an output of the phase comparator is inputted to the loop filter, and the loop filter removes noise of the inputted signal to output,

wherein an output signal of the loop filter is inputted to the voltage controlled oscillator circuit, and

wherein an output of the voltage controlled oscillator circuit is inputted to the frequency divider, and the frequency divider decreases a frequency of the inputted signal to 1/N times (N is an arbitrary natural number) to output.

25. A semiconductor device wherein the phase-locked loop circuit according to claim 24 is provided.

26. A semiconductor device wherein the semiconductor device according to claim 25 is a wireless chip of performing wireless transmission and reception of data, a mobile phone, a cordless phone, or a wireless LAN.

27. A voltage controlled oscillator circuit comprising:

a control portion to which a first voltage is inputted and from which a second voltage corresponding to the first voltage is outputted;

a current source portion to which the second voltage is inputted and from which a current corresponding to the second voltage is outputted; and

an oscillator circuit to which the current is inputted and from which a signal with a frequency in accordance with the current is outputted,

wherein the control portion includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor which is diode-connected, and a monitor circuit,

wherein the first voltage is inputted to a gate of the first transistor,

wherein the second voltage is outputted from a drain of the first transistor,

wherein a third voltage is inputted to a gate of the second transistor,

wherein a drain of the third transistor is connected to the drain of the first transistor and a drain of the second transistor,

wherein a source of the first transistor is connected to a source of the second transistor,

wherein the monitor circuit includes a fourth transistor which is diode-connected, a fifth transistor which is diode-connected, a sixth transistor which is diode-connected, and a seventh transistor,

wherein a gate of the fourth transistor and a gate of the fifth transistor are connected to a gate of the seventh transistor, and

wherein the third voltage is outputted from a drain of the seventh transistor.

28. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 27, wherein the second transistor forms a constant current source of supplying a constant current in accordance with the third voltage.

29. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 27,

wherein both of the first transistor and the second transistor are n-channel transistors, and

wherein the third voltage decreases when a power supply voltage is increased, whereas the third voltage increases when the power supply voltage is decreased.

30. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 27, wherein the third voltage changes so as to decrease a drain current of the second transistor when a power supply voltage is increased, whereas the third voltage changes so as to increase the drain current of the second transistor when the power supply voltage is decreased.

31. The voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 27, wherein by changing a rate of a drain current of the second transistor with respect to a drain current of the first transistor, a current gain of the voltage controlled oscillator circuit is adjusted.

32. A phase-locked loop circuit using the voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 27.

33. A phase-locked loop circuit comprising the voltage controlled oscillator circuit according to claim 27, a frequency divider, a phase comparator, and a loop filter,

wherein a reference signal and an output of the frequency divider are inputted to the phase comparator,

wherein a phase difference between the reference signal and an output signal of the frequency divider is outputted,

wherein an output of the phase comparator is inputted to the loop filter, and the loop filter removes noise of the inputted signal to output,

wherein an output signal of the loop filter is inputted to the voltage controlled oscillator circuit, and

wherein an output of the voltage controlled oscillator circuit is inputted to the frequency divider, and the frequency divider decreases a frequency of the inputted signal to 1/N times (N is an arbitrary natural number) to output.

34. A semiconductor device wherein the phase-locked loop circuit according to claim 33 is provided.

35. A semiconductor device wherein the semiconductor device according to claim 34 is a wireless chip of performing wireless transmission and reception of data, a mobile phone, a cordless phone, or a wireless LAN.