A 267 GHz Wide Tuning Range VCO With −3.5 dBm Peak Output Power in 40-nm CMOS

Abstract

This article presents a highly efficient, wide tuning range push-push voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) in the sub-terahertz frequency band. The proposed VCO adopted a novel capacitance-splitting feedback technique to achieve high oscillation frequency and output power. The frequency tuning is provided through a tunable source degeneration (TSD) network. The proposed TSD network enables a wide tuning range without substantially sacrificing output power. The proposed VCO is fabricated in a 40-nm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process and has a peak output power of −3.5 dBm, a center frequency of 267.2 GHz, and a continuous tuning range of 27 GHz. The VCO consumes 30 mA current from a 1.1 V dc supply, resulting in 1.35% dc-to-RF efficiency.