Investigation of a K-Band SiGe VCO for FMCW Radar Localization

The design and characterization of a 24 GHz LC cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) for a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) primary radar for automotive applications is presented. To prove the concept, the VCO is fabricated using 130 nm SiGe technology. The studied VCO is measured both on wafer and printed circuit board (PCB). It consumes 7.2 mA from a 2.5 V supply, has an efficiency of 1.48 GHz/mW, and features a tuning range of 12%. The measured phase noise on PCB is -103 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency. To our knowledge, compared to the state-of-the-art, the circuit shows the highest figure of merit tuning range (FOMT) of -180 dBc/Hz for LC cross-coupled VCOs.