A 63-GHz voltage-controlled oscillator in 0.18-μm CMOS

A novel circuit topology for the millimeter-wave voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) is presented. By employing the admittance-transforming technique, the proposed circuit can sustain fundamental oscillation close to the cut-off frequency of the transistors. Utilizing a standard 0.18-mum CMOS process, a V-band VCO is implemented for demonstration. The fabricated circuit exhibits a frequency tuning range of 670 MHz in the vicinity of 63 GHz. The measured output power and phase noise at 1-MHz offset are -15 dBm and -89 dBc/Hz, respectively. Operated at a 1.8-V supply voltage, the total dc current consumption of the VCO and the output buffers is 55 mA.