Experimental evaluation of hot-carrier stressed series-tuned injection-locked frequency divider

  • Sheng-Lyang Jang
  • Jhin-Fang Huang
  • Cong-Chao Fu
  • Miin-Horng Juang
Article
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

This paper, for the first time, investigates hot carrier effect on a divide-by-2 injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD). The ILFD was implemented in the TSMC 0.18 μm 1P6M CMOS process. The ILFD uses direct injection MOSFETs for coupling external signal to the series-resonant resonator. It is shown that the locking range decreases and the oscillation frequency increases with stress time, and the phase noise in both the free-running and locked state increases with stress time. The measured operation range after RF stress also shows degradation from the fresh circuit condition.

Keywords

Hot carrier stress Oscillating frequency Tuning range Phase noise Locking range Reliability Series-tuned divide-by-2 injection-locked frequency divider CMOS 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Science Council under Contract NSC 102-2221-E-011-147. The chip was fabricated by CIC.

References

  1. 1.
    Leblehici, Y., & Kang, S.-M. (1993). Hot-carrier reliability of MOS VLSI circuits. New York: Kluwer Academic Publisher.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
    Hu, C., Tam, S. C., Hsu, F.-C., Ko, P.-K., Chan, T.-Y., & Terrill, K. W. (1985). Hot-electron-induced MOSFET degradation—Model, monitor, and improvement. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, SSC-20(1), 295–305.Google Scholar
  3. 3.
    Liu, S–. S., Jang, S.-L., & Chyau, C.-G. (1998). Compact LDD nMOSFET degradation model. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, 45(7), 1538–1547.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Rategh, H. R., & Lee, T. H. (1999). Superharmonic injection-locked frequency dividers. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 34(6), 813–821.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Chuang, Y.-H., Lee, S.-H., Yen, R.-H., Jang, S.-L., Lee, J.-F., & Juang, M.-H. (2006). A wide locking range and low voltage CMOS direct injection-locked frequency divider. IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, 16(5), 299–301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Tiebout, M. (2004). A CMOS direct injection-locked oscillator topology as high-frequency low-power frequency divider. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 39(7), 1170–1174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Quémerais, T., Moquillon, L., Huard, V., Fournier, J.-M., Benech, P., Corrao, N., et al. (2010). Hot-carrier stress effect on a CMOS 65-nm 60-GHz one-stage power amplifier. IEEE Electron Device Letters, 31(9), 927–929.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. 8.
    Shen, Y., Lee, J., and Shin, H., (2009). Hot carrier stress effect on the performance of 65 nm CMOS low noise amplifier, IEEE ICICDT, Austin, TX (pp. 249–252).Google Scholar
  9. 9.
    Jang, S.-L., Yuan, J.-S., Yen, S.-D., Tang, H.-S., Chen, S.-Y., & Huang, G.-W. (2013). Experimental evaluation of hot electron reliability on differential Clapp-VCO. Microelectronics Reliability, 53, 254–258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Salm, C., Hoekstra, E., Kolhatkar, J. S., Hof, A. J., Wallinga, H., & Schmitz, J. (2007). Low-frequency noise in hot-carrier degraded nMOSFETs. Microelectronics Reliability, 47, 577–580.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Negre, L., Roy D., Boret S., Scheer P., Gloria, D., and Ghibaudo, G., (2011). Advanced 45 nm MOSFET small-signal equivalent circuit aging under DC and RF hot carrier stress, IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS), (pp. HV.1.1–HV.1.4).Google Scholar
  12. 12.
    Dai, C., Walstra, S. V., & Lee, S.-W. (3). The effect of intrinsic capacitance degradation on circuit performance. Symposium on VLSI Technology, 1996, 196–197.Google Scholar
  13. 13.
    Ling, C. H., Ang, D. S., & Tan, S. E. (1995). Effects of measurement frequency and temperature anneal on differential gate capactitance spectra observed in hot carrier stressed MOSFETs. IEEE Electron Devices, 42, 1528–1535.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Sheng-Lyang Jang
    • 1
  • Jhin-Fang Huang
    • 1
  • Cong-Chao Fu
    • 1
  • Miin-Horng Juang
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Electronic EngineeringNational Taiwan University of Science and TechnologyTaipeiTaiwan, ROC

Personalised recommendations