METHOD AND APPARATUS HAVING ENHANCED OSCILLATOR PHASE NOISE USING HIGH Vt MOS DEVICES

A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), comprising:

• a resonator circuit connected to receive an input voltage and having a first output node and a second output node;
• and
• at least one cross-coupled switching circuit portion, each cross-coupled switching circuit portion comprising a first transistor having a drain connected to the first output node and a second transistor having a drain connected to the second output node, the first transistor having a gate connected between the drain of the second transistor and the second output node and the second transistor having a gate connected between the drain of the first transistor and the first output node, each of the first and second transistors having a gate oxide thickness of at least 55 Angstroms.

A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), comprising:

• a resonator circuit connected to receive an input voltage and having a first output node and a second output node;
• and
• at least one cross-coupled switching circuit portion, each cross-coupled switching circuit portion comprising a first transistor having a drain connected to the first output node and a second transistor having a drain connected to the second output node, the first transistor having a gate connected between the drain of the second transistor and the second output node and the second transistor having a gate connected between the drain of the first transistor and the first output node, wherein a magnitude of a threshold voltage for each of the first and second transistors is greater than or equal to one volt.