Date of Award

2008

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Department

Electrical and Computer Engineering

First Advisor

Abdolreza Abhari

Abstract

This thesis first reviews existing work in CMOS active inductors focusing on two implementations, Wu gyrator-C and differential floating active inductors. It then proposes a new method of quantifying the performance of active inductors by introducing a figure of merit called "mean quality factor" that is better suited to the large signal behavior of active inductors. New CMOS constant-Q active inductors are proposed that are intended specifically for applications where a large signal operation in required. The thesis then proposes CMOS active transformers that are active circuit equivalents of two magnetically coupled coils. Four applications of constant-Q active inductors and active transformers namely a 2.4 GHz voltage-controlled oscillator with -119.5dBc/Hz phase noise at 1 MHz offset, a 2.4 GHz current-mode phase-locked loop with -116dBc/Hz phase noise at 1 MHz offset and 80ns lock time, a 5 MHz 100X oversampled current-mode sigma-delta modulator with 50dB dynamic range and 65dB SNR, and a 1.6 GHz QPSK phase modulator with -101dBc/Hz phase noise at 1 MHz offset are presented.