Design of a CMOS 12 GHz Rotary Travelling Wave Oscillator with switched capacitor tuning

This paper presents the design methodology, simulation and measurement results of a CMOS 12 GHz rotary travelling wave voltage controlled oscillator. The different simulations (electrical using SPICE and electromagnetical using HFSS) are presented. These results are compared to a theoretical approach and measurements. The oscillator has been fabricated in a 0.13 mum RF-CMOS technology. The phase noise at a 1 MHz offset from the carrier is -105 dBc/Hz and the tuning range is 1.2 GHz for a global consumption of 25 mA.