Title
Oscillator Flicker Phase Noise: A Tutorial
Abstract
A deep understanding of how to reduce flicker phase noise (PN) in oscillators is critical in supporting ultra-low PN frequency generation for the advanced communications and other emerging high-speed applications. Unfortunately, the current literature is either full of conflicting theories and ambiguities or too complex in mathematics, hiding the physical insights. In this brief, we comprehensively review the evolution of flicker noise upconversion theories and clarify their controversial and confusing parts. Two classes of such upconversion mechanisms in voltage-biased LC-tank oscillators (nMOS-only and complementary) are specifically compared and numerically verified using a commercial simulation model of 28-nm CMOS. We identify that non-resistive terminations of both 2nd and 3rd harmonic currents contribute to oscillation waveform asymmetries that lead to the flicker noise upconversion. Further, we discuss three 1/f <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> PN reduction mechanisms: waveform shaping, narrowing of conduction angle, and gate-drain phase shift.
Year
DOI
Venue
2021
10.1109/TCSII.2020.3043165
IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs
Keywords
DocType
Volume
Flicker noise up-conversion,flicker phase noise reduction,impulse sensitivity function (ISF),cross-coupled oscillators,complementary oscillators,class-C,gate-drain phase shift
Journal
68
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
2
1549-7747
4
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.40
0
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Yizhe Hu193.93
Teerachot Siriburanon214921.47
Robert Bogdan Staszewski353693.76