Patent ID: 8779861

Claim:
A multi-phase voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) comprising: a chain of at least four ring oscillator delay stage cells, wherein each stage comprises a Gm/C delay element and a LC tank load that creates no ambiguity of phase rotation direction, wherein an output voltage of each stage in said chain is input as an input voltage of a subsequent stage in said chain, wherein the output voltage of a last stage in said chain is fed back as an input voltage of a first stage in said chain, wherein each delay stage in said chain exhibits no phase shift from input to output at resonance, and wherein each stage in said chain comprises: a pair of transistors comprising a first transistor connected to a second transistor without an intervening switch therebetween; said first transistor comprising a first source, a first drain, a first bulk terminal, and a first gate, said first transistor receiving an input voltage through said first gate; an output voltage terminal that outputs voltage from said first transistor and is connected to said first drain; said second transistor comprising a second source, a second drain, a second bulk terminal, and a second gate, said second transistor receiving a bias voltage through said second gate, wherein said first source is connected to said second drain without an intervening switch therebetween; a first capacitor connected to said first source, said second source, and said second drain; an inductor connected to said first drain; and a second capacitor connected in parallel with said inductor to form said LC tank load, wherein said LC tank load is directly connected to said first drain without direct connection to said first gate and without direct connection to any other transistor other than said first transistor, wherein said first bulk terminal is connected to said first source and said second bulk terminal is connected to ground, and wherein said first transistor and said second transistor are connected to each other in a non-cross-coupled configuration.