Abstract

Modern transceiver integrated circuits used in wireless communication systems seek low power wide frequency range receiver front-ends (RxFE) to support multiple communication bands. For this, RxFE leveraging passive N-path mixer first approach are becoming progressively popular due to their low power nature. However, N-path RxFE requires N precise phases of a local oscillator (LO) to control mixer operation, which becomes challenging as the frequency of operation increases (> 10 GHz). In this paper, we give useful insights and present design considerations for the faithful generation of different non- overlapping phases of LO to achieve wide band RF input match. We also present the design and post-layout simulation results of a 4-path mixer based 8-20 GHz RxFE with programmable gain of 10 to 29 dB in TSMC 65 nm CMOS technology. In post-layout simulations, the proposed design achieves an IIP3 of > -10 dB, S11 of < -12 dB and consumes total power of 66 mW from 1.2 V supply.

Abstract

Efficient and reliable non-invasive methods for micro-organism detection have significant implications in various fields such as medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and food safety. Existing detection techniques, such as culture-based methods, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have limitations including time-consuming processes, expensive equipment requirements and invasive sampling procedures. These drawbacks emphasize the need for alternate detection techniques that are non-invasive, rapid, sensitive, specific, and user-friendly. For this purpose, in this research, we present a portable integrated system for micro-organism detection, which is based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The proposed system includes Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanorods based interdigitized electrode (IDE) sensor and an EIS circuit. This work also presents the considerations and methodology for the fabrication of ZnO nanorods with high-yield. To validate the efficacy of the proposed methods, experimental results through scanning electron microscope are also presented. Finally, measurement results for detection of a micro-organism (yeast) is also presented to demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of the proposed methods and system.

Abstract

Quantum sensing applications such as nitrogen vacancy based magnetometry require phase locked loops (PLL), which can synthesize microwave frequencies in a narrow band near 2.87 GHz. Moreover, it is also required that the PLLs should have low noise and low jitter for high stability and fast settling time. These requirements seek low phase noise voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with small variation in its gain (KVCO) within the desired tuning range. In this paper, we present a technique for designing a low phase noise VCO with low KVCO and small KVCO variation. To validate the proposed technique, an LC VCO has been designed and implemented in 0.18 µm CMOS process and post layout simulation results are presented. The simulation results show that the proposed LC VCO achieves KVCO variation of ±3.82% in the frequency range of 2.75 - 2.94 GHz and exhibits a phase noise of -118.64 dBc/Hz at an offset of 1 MHz, while consuming 9 mW of power from a 1.8 V supply.

Abstract

Increasing demands of wearable health monitoring seek dedicated spectrum for short range wireless communication of biosignals, for which frequency band near 400 MHz has been utilized recently. While using the dedicated spectrum, biosignal communication must not cause any out of band radiations and interference, for which there is a strong need to develop spur- free, low phase noise and energy efficient wireless transmitters (TX). In this research, for the first time we present design and implementation of a reference-spur-free, low phase noise, sub-mW dual modulation mode (frequency shift keying (FSK) and on-off keying (OOK)) 400 MHz TX for wearable health monitoring, where RF synthesis depends solely on an extremely low phase noise oscillator, which uses a 400 MHz surface acoustic wave resonator and does not include any power hungry, spur- generating frequency multiplier or phase/frequency lock loop. The proposed TX has been designed and fabricated in 180 nm CMOS technology. Measurement results show that the energy efficiencies of the proposed TX in FSK and OOK mode are 1.8 nJ/bit at 250 kb/s and 0.23 nJ/bit at 2 Mb/s, respectively. To prove the utility of the proposed TX, biosignal communication is also demonstrated with the help of a commercial receiver in actual operating scenarios, where the measured bit error rate in FSK mode was < 10−5 for range of 2 m. Index Terms—Health-monitoring, wearable, spur-free, trans- mitter, FSK, OOK, 400 MHz, MedRadio

Abstract

Recently, diamond color defect based quantum sensing applications such as nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center magnetometry have emerged in CMOS technology, which use optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) for sensing magnetic field strengths (|B~|) from different environmental physical quantities. For ODMR based sensing, CMOS quantum sensors seek an onchip 2.87 GHz microwave (MW) signal generator. Moreover, in order to sense smaller |B~|, these CMOS quantum sensors also require that MW signal should be swept with sufficiently small step-size near 2.87 GHz. In this work, we present a fractional-N synthesizer based 2.87 GHz MW-generator (MWG) with an extremely small programmable sweep step-size for improved sensitivity of |B~| measurements in CMOS NV magnetometry. The proposed MWG is implemented in 180 nm CMOS technology and simulations were done to validate the proposed design. Post-layout simulation results show that the proposed MWG achieves a minimum sweep-step size of 50 kHz, which can be used to sense |B~|<0.9μT and exhibits a phase noise of −114.5 dBc/Hz at an offset of 1 MHz near 2.87 GHz center frequency.

Abstract

Fully monolithic carrier synthesis at mmWave frequencies (>10 GHz) seek on-chip high quality factor resonators in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. However, at mmWave frequencies, MEMS resonator’s usage is severely limited by its high static capacitance (C 0 ) and low electromechanical coupling. In this work, we propose a technique of partial cancellation of C 0 of mmWave MEMS resonator to utilize it for the development of an extremely low phase noise oscillator. Based on the proposed technique, we also present a methodology for low phase noise fully monolithic mmWave oscillator design. To validate the proposed technique and methodology, design and simulation results of an oscillator with 10.33 GHz on-chip MEMS resonator model in 65 nm CMOS have been also presented in this paper. Simulation results show that the oscillator achieves phase noise and FoM of -137 dBc/Hz and 212.8 dBc/Hz, respectively at 1 MHz offset, while consuming 2.8 mW power from 1 V supply.

Abstract

This work presents an ultra low phase noise 30 GHz oscillator topology in 14 nm technology for an active mode Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based resonator that utilizes resonant-fin transistors (RFT). A novel oscillator architecture has been presented for the active mode RFT, which can be modelled as a voltage controlled current source with 270° phase shift between its output current and input voltage. The proposed oscillator has been designed in 14 nm GF technology and simulation results show that it achieves phase noise less than −144 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset for 30 GHz carrier frequency for active mode RFT with quality factor of 10,000, while consuming 5.5 mW power from 0.8 V supply.

Abstract

Very small electromechanical coupling coefficient in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) or acoustic resonators is quite a concern for oscillator performance, specially at mmWave frequencies. This small coefficient is the manifestation of the small ratio of motional capacitance to static capacitance in the resonators. This work provides a general solution to overcome the problem of relatively high static capacitance at mmWave frequencies and presents analysis and design techniques for achieving extremely low phase noise and a very high figureof-merit (FoM) in an on-chip MEMS resonator based mmWave oscillator. The proposed analysis and techniques are validated with design and simulation of a 30 GHz oscillator with MEMS resonator having quality factor of 10,000 in 14 nm GF technology. Post layout simulation results show that it achieves a phase noise of −132 dBc/Hz and FoM of 217 dBc/Hz at offset of 1 MHz.

Abstract

Increasing demands of wearable health monitoring seek dedicated spectrum for short range wireless communication of biosignals, for which frequency band near 400 MHz has been utilized recently. While using the dedicated spectrum, biosignal communication must not cause any out of band radiations and interference, for which there is a strong need to develop spurfree, low phase noise and energy efficient wireless transmitters (TX). In this research, for the first time we present design and implementation of a reference-spur-free, low phase noise, sub-mW dual modulation mode (frequency shift keying (FSK) and on-off keying (OOK)) 400 MHz TX for wearable health monitoring, where RF synthesis depends solely on an extremely low phase noise oscillator, which uses a 400 MHz surface acoustic wave resonator and does not include any power hungry, spurgenerating frequency multiplier or phase/frequency lock loop. The proposed TX has been designed and fabricated in 180 nm CMOS technology. Measurement results show that the energy efficiencies of the proposed TX in FSK and OOK mode are 1.8 nJ/bit at 250 kb/s and 0.23 nJ/bit at 2 Mb/s, respectively. To prove the utility of the proposed TX, biosignal communication is also demonstrated with the help of a commercial receiver in actual operating scenarios, where the measured bit error rate in FSK mode was < 10−5 for range of 2 m. Index Terms—Health-monitoring, wearable, spur-free, transmitter, FSK, OOK, 400 MHz, MedRadio

Abstract

This work presents the design of a low phase noise LC oscillator (LCO) for a phase locked loop (PLL)-free receiver (RX), which is used for wireless sensor nodes based healthcare applications. A detailed analysis of phase noise of free running LCO has been presented under the influence of offchip components, which are very often inevitable in biomedical radios. Based on the analysis, a low power cross coupled LCO has been optimally designed for Medical Device Radiocommunication (MedRadio) band, which is a recommended communication band for biomedical applications. The proposed LCO has been fabricated in 180 nm CMOS technology. Measurement results show that the LCO consumes 140 μW power from 1.8 V supply and exhibits a phase noise of -103 dBc/Hz at an offset of 300 kHz, which closely matches with the post layout simulation results. Measurement results also show that the proposed …