A 5.56–9.09 GHz Octa-Core Dual-Mode DCO Based on Multi-Tap Three-Turn Inductor Achieving 195.7 dBc/Hz FoM and Wideband Flicker PN Suppression

A 5.56-9.09GHz octa-core dual-mode DCO based on multi-tap three-turn inductor is presented. Owing to a frequency-independent passive gain of up to 3 and the resulting narrower conduction angle, the design achieves a calibration-free wideband suppression in both thermal and flicker PN. Fabricated in 22-nm CMOS, the DCO achieves -150.2 to -145.3dBc/Hz PN and 195.7 to 192.5dBc/Hz FoM at a 10MHz offset across a 48% tuning range. The flicker PN corner is from 100 to 290kHz.