A 0.37-to-46.5GHz frequency synthesizer for software-defined radios in 65nm CMOS

Employing a switched-transformer-based triple-band Q-VCO and a magnetically-tuned multi-mode triple-push x4 injection-locked frequency multiplier (ILFM), a CMOS SDR frequency synthesizer generates IQ LO signals continuously from 0.37GHz to 23.25GHz and differential LO signals from 23.25GHz to 46.5GHz. Implemented in 65-nm CMOS, the synthesizer measures phase noise of-94dBc/Hz in band and of-136dBc/Hz at 10MHz offset from 7.2GHz and RMS jitters between 0.43ps and 0.55ps across the whole frequency range while consuming 36 to 90mW and occupying an active area of 1.82mm2. © 2014 IEEE