A Low-Noise Four-Stage Voltage-Controlled Ring Oscillator in Deep-Submicrometer CMOS Technology

Abstract

This brief presents a low-voltage and low-noise ring voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) where the phase noise performance is improved by reducing the total channel thermal noise injected into the output node of the VCO during the transition period of the output voltage swing. Implemented in a 65-nm CMOS technology, the proposed ring VCO operates from 485.7 to 1011.6 MHz. At 645 MHz, the measured phase noise is $-$ 110.8 dBc/Hz at an offset of 1 MHz while dissipating 10 mW from a 1-V supply.