2006 INTERNATIONAL RF AND MICROWAVE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, SEPTEMBER 12 - 14, 2006, PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA

Modeling of a 10GHz Dielectric Resonator Oscillator in ADS

Nor Muzlifah Mahyuddin, Mohd Fadzil Ain, Syed Idris Syed Hassan and Mandeep Singh
School of Electrical And Electronic Engineering, Engineering Campus,
University Science Malaysia,
14300 Nibong Tebal, Seberang Perai Selatan,
Penang, Malaysia.
muz worksl49gyahoo.co.sg, mfadzilgeng.usm.my, ssyedgeng.usm.my

Abstract Oscillators are basic microwave energy sources

- are also included in Figure 1. The QL/QO ratio can be
for all microwave communication systems. This paper will
discuss the theory and the design of a low phase noise
10GHz parallel feedback GaAs PHEMT dielectric resonator
oscillator. The coupling coefficient between the dielectric
resonator and the parallel microstrip lines are represented in
the form of double coil transformer, while the dielectric
resonator is modeled as a parallel RLC component. The
coupling gap can be adjusted to optimize the ratio of the
loaded to the unloaded quality factor to give a better phase
noise. An optimum low phase noise can be achieved when
an insertion loss of 9.5dB is obtained. The dielectric
resonator oscillator model design was simulated using
Agilent ADS software, where at 10GHz exhibited an
insertion loss of 8.562 dB with a phase noise of -105.283
dBc/Hz at 100 klHz frequency offset. The output power was
exhibited at +15.551 dBm.
varied by adjusting the coupling gap between the
dielectric resonator and the microstrip line, of which in
this case is represented in the form of turn ratio of
transformer which located between the input and the
output feedline of the microstrip resonator. This is
realized by incorporating a planar EM software called
Advanced Design System from Agilent. It is known
that the bigger the turn ratio, the closer the gap
between the dielectric resonator and the microstrip
line.
40

Keywords: Dielectric resonator oscillator; Phase noise.

1. Introduction 20
Noise
Generally, RF and microwave oscillators are dBm
implemented for frequency conversion and carrier 10
generation and widely used in all modem radar and
wireless communication. It uses an active nonlinear P°
0 PAVO
device, such as transistor and diode and combination
with a passive circuit to convert DC to a sinusoidal 0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
steady state RF signal. Noise produces in
semiconductor devices can modulate the phase of an
oscillator and can create noise sidebands in its output Fig 1: Phase noise of the oscillator plotted for a difference
spectrum. This phase deviation is a serious matter in QLIQO values for the two different definitions of power.
systems that use phase of a signal to carry information,
which also known as phase noise. The phase noise The advantage of using a dielectric resonator is the
cannot be directly minimized except through large quality factor that it has compared to other type
improving the oscillator's performance. A high Q of a of resonators. Thus the principle of using dielectric
resonator has the potential for lowering the phase noise resonator as the main stabilizing element in a
of oscillators. microwave oscillator is the reduction in the phase
noise and size of the oscillator since it is known to be
In 1985, J. K. A. Everard has experimentally proved compact and small.
that the minimum phase noise of an oscillator occur
when the ratio of loaded quality factor (QL) and the 2. Resonator Design
unloaded quality factor (Q0) of the resonator is 2/3 or
0.667 [1],[2]. Measurements of noise variation with In designing a dielectric resonator oscillator which
QL/QO have been demonstrated using a low frequency agrees with the criteria made by J. K. A. Everard, the
oscillator, where the power is defined as PRF and these design will start off with optimized values of RLC
components which represent the electric model of the

0-7803-9745-2/06/$20.00 (©)2006 IEEE.

106
dielectric resonator. These values should be agreeable
with the quality factor of the chosen dielectric N-1
TU
Subsl-"MS.bl MSub1"
T.,54
N-t 2

resonator in this design, which is around 5000. In Z=0 Oh.t

VV-21754
L=10 .44 mm
. .21

TF
54~ ..

TF L=10 .44 mm
Z50 Oh.t

- -L ~~ ~ ~ ~~TF1T=l1.00
TF2 L_
obtaining the ratio of loaded quality factor and the = T=1.00 ,=

unloaded quality factor of 2/3, the insertion loss of the

dielectric resonator oscillator should be equal to
9.5dB, as calculated as follows [2]: MS.bl
Fi=0.7878 ..
SP1
Start=9 GFlz
Stp= 11 GHz
E,2.5
M.,l Step=0.001 GHz
C..d=4E,007
H-6 ..

QL (1)
T=35 ..

QO
T..D=O
Ro.gh=O ..
IL
-10 20 Fig. 3: Dielectric resonator in ADS

With QLIQO equals to 2/3 or 0.667, the insertion loss

(IL) is 9.5dB. This has been proven that in order to 12 - __N _ _

obtain an optimum low phase noise, an insertion loss -e 10 \, _ _ _

of 9.5dB is required. This can be achieved through a

dielectric resonator design incorporating a dual coil
v)
0 6 _ _
I-

transformer, where the turn-ratio represents the 4 __

coupling coefficient between the resonator and the 2-

microstrip lines. 030000089 1121111

The dielectric resonator chosen for this paper is an Coupling coefficient

E2000 series puck from Tekelec Temex with a
dielectric constant of 37.4 and a quality factor of 5000
at 1OGHz. Its dimensions are 5.1mm in diameter and
2.95mm in height, with a density of 5.2. This resonator
can be electrical modelled into parallel RLC
components as shown in Figure 2. The values of the
RLC components are calculated using the Dielectric
Resonator Calculator software from Tekelec Temex,
which are R = 754.68Q, L = 2.4pH and
C = 0.1 InF.
1 d
Fig. 2. Equivalent model of dielectric resonator
As been mentioned before, the coupling coefficient
between the resonator and the microstrip lines is
represented by the turn-ratio, which made up the
dielectric resonator simulated in ADS, as shown in
Figure 3. Thus, in order to obtain the insertion loss of
9.5dB, the turn-ratio is varied. For this paper, the turn-
ratio is varied from 0.1 to 1.0, where the result is
presented in Figure 4. It clearly states that as the turn-
ratio value increases, the insertion loss is also reduced.
From the graph, the nearest value of insertion loss to
9.5dB is 8.562dB at turn-ratio of 0.5. thus, the
minimum phase noise can be acheved at the turn-ratio
of 0.5.
Fig. 4: The insertion loss of dielectric resonator for different
values of turn-ratio
3. Dielectric Resonator Oscillator Design
However, microwave oscillators typically consist of
Radio Frequency choke or an RF choke, a resonator
and an active device or as amplifying device. An active
device can be a bipolar transistor or an FET. For this
paper, a pHEMT transistor is used, which is known as
ATF-36077 from Agilent. The use of a RF choke is
commonplace in supplying a DC bias in RF and
microwave circuits [3]. The purpose of the RF choke
network is to ensure that the correct DC operating
voltage is supplied to an active device without
allowing the DC supply circuitry to present an
improper high frequency termination to that device [4].
An RF choke network is as shown in Figure 5. The
width of the radial stub needs to be as small as it can
be for the RF choke network to be more efficient. The
length of microstrip line between the 50Q transmission
line and the radial stub needs to be a IOOQ
transmission line or measure at quarter-wavelength at
10 GHz, as calculated as follows [5]:
(2)
C,rf
With the dielectric constant of 2.5 and a frequency of
1OGHz, the waveguide wavelength is 18.9737mm,
which means that the length of quarter wavelength is
4.7434mm.

107
 50Q Based on ATF-36077, with VDD equals to 3V, ID is
trnnus sionL lOmA, VDS of 1.5V and IDRs set at OV, RD is found to
line Radial stub
beequalto 150Q.
tnal±smsionl
line The output matching is also included in the oscillator
DC in
design since it is used to stabilize the circuit and
Quarter provide an additional gain. The stability factor is
wavelength at
op eratiing
-.
calculated to be 0.7569, which is unconditionally
fre quency stable. The input reflection coefficient in the output
stability circle is found to be 1z157.230. The output
matching network is designed using a single stub
RF 'm
matching technique, where based on the following
Fig. 5. Radio frequency choke network. equations [6]:

The distance between the radial stub to the input DC 1

FIN
-r -s
S1l +ISl2s2lFT
r (4)
port can be at any length but for any convenience it
can be measured as a quarter-wavelength. The RF
FL 12S221F
-

choke network design is implemented into dielectric

1
resonator oscillator at both power supplies (Vdd and F-rFOUT -s2
=S22 + Sl2S2lFL
1SllFL (5)
Vgs) as designed in ADS.

The dimension of 50Q transmission line has been

calculated previously using LineCalc in ADS, where z _z I + FrouT
OUT- ° 1-r (6)
its width values at 2.1754mm. The width of the quarter
wavelength measures at 0.3mm as stated in Figure 6.
The width of the quarter wavelength in RFC network
usually values from 0.1 to 0.3mm. The length between ZT
ROU3 U
JX OUT (7)
the radial stub and the DC input port as shown in
Figure 5 can be at any length, so therefore to simplify
the design; this length is also equals to quarter
wavelength, which equals to 4.7434mm. FT -=ZT ZO - (8)
ZT +ZO
MRSTUB
Stubl
Subst=Mub1"
FT is calculated to be 0.8990Z-1050. The output
\/ Wi=0.4 mm
VL=2.5 mm
matching is created by plotting FT on the Smith chart.
Angle=45 From here, the distance from open-circuit stub to the
drain of ATF-36077, d is 0.136R or 2.5804mm and
MSTEP MLIN MTEE_ADS MLIN length of the stub; I is 0.204k or 3.8706mm. However,
Subt=p1t ubl Subst="MSubl" Subst= MSubl1 Subst="MSubl" after optimization in ADS, d and I are set to be
W=0.3 mm Wl1=0.3 mm W=0.3 mm
Wl1=2.1754 mm
W2=0.3 mm L=4.7434 mm W2=0.3 mm L=4.7434 mm 10.5114mm and 11.8396mm, as shown in Figure 7.

Tee2
Subst=MSub1"
W1 =2.1754 mm TL1 5
W2=2.1754 mm
W3=2.1754 mm VL2.10754
r4m
L=10.5114m-n
2.1754 rrr
Fig. 6. RFC network in ADS :2.1 754 rm
:2.1754 mmn

9aubstl:Msjb1"
75L2.1754 rrm
L=l 1.8396 rr
The completed oscillator design not only consists of
RF choke network, an active device and resonator but Fig. 7. Open-circuit stub matching in ADS
power biasing circuit is also essential. For this paper,
the source biasing is not chosen but instead, the After every component in dielectric resonator
dielectric resonator oscillator is biased using dual oscillator circuit has been calculated and verified, the
power supplies method, where drain resistor (RD) is final design of dielectric resonator oscillator has been
included. RD is calculated using the following equation constructed as shown in Figure 8.
[5]:

VDD = IDRD + VDS + IDRS (3)

108
 TL28
Subst=-"MSub1l"
V\=2.1 754 nmr
L=9.4868 nmr

Fig. 8. Dielectric resonator oscillator design in ADS

4. Results and Discussion mi2

Based on the dielectric resonator oscillator as in

p=1 £2 E
indeptmjP7X"Ranisi 1 0 22

Figure 8, the output power and phase noise are

measured at 15.55ldBm and -105.283dBc/Hz. These
values are measured at the turn-ratio of 0.5. This value
is chosen since at turn-ratio of 0.5, the minimum I -X -Z E I' S41t ...... lEi.

possible phase noise can be obtained. The output

power and the phase noise are as displayed in Figure 9.

(b)
m,l1
keq-=1 2.3i GHtz
Oat)d "dLn/d (Vut, fe=155.51
Fig. 9. (a) Output power (b) Phase noise of dielectric
resonator oscillator in ADS

The output power of 15.55ldBm is obtained at a

frequency of 12.38GHz, which is still acceptable and

approximately close to IOGHz. The phase noise
exhibited -105.283dBc/Hz at a frequency offset of 100
IC X Z5 30 3E 4x
; kHz. Thus, at a phase noise of -105.283dBc/Hz, the
minimum low phase noise dielectric resonator
(a) oscillator is successfully designed.

109
 5. Conclusion
The coupling coefficient was electrically modeled
into a form of dual coil transformer, where the turn-
ratio value became the subject of the analysis. As the
turn-ratio was varied from 0.1 to 2, conclusively the
optimum low phase noise was obtained at the turn-
ratio of 0.5, which exhibited an insertion loss of
8.562dB. An optimum low phase noise dielectric
resonator oscillator at 10GHz is constructed, where the
output power and phase noise are measured at
15.551dBm and -105.283dBc/Hz.
References
[1] J. K. A. Everard, Low Noise power-efficient
oscillators: theory and design. IEE Proceeding
Vol. 133, No. 4, August 1986, pp. 172-180.
110
[2] Everard J. Fundamentals of RF circuit design with
low noise oscillators. England: John Wiley &
sons, 2001.
[3] M. F. Ain. Superconducting Oscillators. PhD
Thesis 2003. Faculty of Engineering University of
Birmingham.
[4] HP Application Note AN-A001. Notes on choke
network. USA: Hewlett Packard Company, 1993.
[5] Sweet, Allen A. (1990). MIC&MMIC Amplifier
and Oscilator Circuit Design. USA: Artech House.
[6] Vendelin, Pavio, A.M., Rohde, U.L. (1990).
Microwave Circuit Design Using Linear and
Nonlinear Techniques. USA: John Wiley & Sons.