Bertrand Rue

Very High Efficiency 13.56 MHz RFID Input Stage Voltage Multipliers Based On Ultra Low Power MOS Diodes

This paper presents an ULP (ultra-low-power) diode based voltage multiplier which is used to convert RF input signal to DC supply voltage. This uses an input signal of 1 V peak to peak and 13.56 MHz frequency and reaches 2 to 3 V at its output with 10 diodes. The IC is implemented in a 2 mum multiple- threshold voltage SOI CMOS technology. The IC outperforms, by a factor larger than 2, classical MOS diodes based voltage multiplier, implemented on the same technology, from the point of view of efficiency (minimum RF input power for given output specifications) and impedance.

Low-Voltage Low-Power High-Temperature SOI CMOS Rectifiers

In this paper we introduce the use of low-drop voltage low-leakage CMOS SOI diodes to improve the power efficiency of AC-DC power converter for low-voltage and high-temperature applications

A SOI CMOS Smart High-Temperature Sensor

Smart temperature sensors integrating on the same chip the solid-state sensor itself and the digital conversion present several advantages : lower cost, fewer connections, readiness of use. No such sensor exists today for high temperature applications (200-300degC). Bulk silicon implementations are limited to 160degC. The use of SOI allows us to extend significantly this range. The CMOS smart temperature sensor presented here, is designed to be functional over an extensive temperature range from 25degC to 250degC, it offers a 3degC accuracy (with only 2 calibration points) with a resolution of 0.8degC.

Fully CMOS-SOI compatible low-power directional flow sensor

The paper reports an improved low cost directional flow sensor, fully compatible with IC-CMOS SOI (silicon-on-insulator) processes, with fair sensitivity and short response time on a large airflow rate range (from 0 to 8 m/s) at a very low consumption (15 mW). Many different sensing principles can be found in the literature and impose a difficult choice between low power consumption, high airflow rate range, sufficient flow rate sensitivity and compatibility with IC processes. Our sensor challenges most recent realizations by providing attractive trade-offs between these parameters for a large range of applications.

Dew-Based Wireless Mini Module for Respiratory Rate Monitoring

Miniaturized humidity sensors combined with ZigBee transceiver and efficient data processing offer a powerful system for the monitoring of human breath. Every 10 ms, the expiration/inspiration phase is transmitted, allowing a medical diagnosis as efficient as required by the application. For the sensing system, a micro interdigitated capacitor, covered with a dense hydrophilic alumina layer, is connected to a capacitance-to-frequency circuit interface. A customized nasal canula-prototype embeds the microsystem underneath the patients nostrils while offering cabling until the belt-fixed radio transceiver. The fast data processing, executed in a mini notebook process unit, gives to the medical staff a live broadcast of the patients respiratory rate. In order to improve the size and the functionality of our sensing module, novel techniques for processing complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) in Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology now allow for the construction of microsensors and CMOS circuits together on the same chip. These sensors consume extremely low power, of the order of 0.1 μW, present high sensitivity, occupy small chip area (1.25 mm2) and offer the prerequisite platform for a large variety of new sensors.

Thermal sensing performance of lateral SOI PIN diodes in the 90–400 K range

In this work the performance of SOI PIN diodes for the implementation of temperature sensors has been presented. Experimental results of diodes from two different technologies showed that the sensitivity and the range of temperature over which the response is fairly fitted by the existing model are affected by the forward current imposed to the diode. It has been shown that these diodes are suitable for the temperature sensing in a wide temperature range (from 90 to 400K) and may reach high accuracy, with error smaller than 1K depending on the temperature range and bias current.

SOI technology for single-chip harsh environment microsystems

Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology is emerging as a major contender for heterogeneous microsystems applications. It is indeed well known that SOI CMOS integrated circuits yield quasi-ideal properties for micropower and RF functionalities, as well as for high-temperature operation up to e.g. 350DGC. In addition SOI substrates offer unique opportunities for implementing sensors and MEMS. Such devices and circuits can further be combined to co-integrate high-performance intelligent/smart micro-systems on a single SOI substrate. The present talk will report recent SOI developments of thin-film Si sensors (temperature, magnetic, UV) and thin dielectric membranes (flow, gas, pressure) as well ultra-low-power/high-temperature CMOS circuits, of potential interest for aerospace applications (e.g. structural or environmental monitoring). Future possibilities of multi-SOI substrates will also be discussed.

Ultra Low Power 3-D Flow Meter in Monolithic SOI Technology

Silicon-on-Insulator technology, with unique properties such as harsh environment resistance and lower power consumption, is presented here as a platform for CMOS and MEMS co-integration. An original CMOS-compatible process has been developed for the design and the co-fabrication of out-of-plane movable cantilevers and ring oscillators circuits on the same chip. The measured transducer, by deflection of the out-of-plane MEMS component, shows until 10% variation of the frequency under different flow rates.

Disruptive ultra-low-leakage design techniques for ultra-low-power mixed-signal microsystems

In this paper, we describe applications of a disruptive ultra-low-leakage design technique for drastically reducing the off current in CMOS mixed analog-digital microsystems without compromising the functional performance. The technique is based on a pair of source-connected n- and p-MOS transistors, automatically biasing the stand-by gate-to-source voltage of the nMOSFET at a negative voltage and that of the pMOSFET at a positive level, thereby pushing the off current towards its physical limits. Playing with gate and drain connections, we have created a family of ULP basic blocks: a 2-terminal diode, a 3-terminal transistor and a voltage follower. Using these blocks, we have developed a 7-transistor SRAM cell and an MTCMOS latch with record low stand-by leakage but still high speed performance, highly-efficient power-management units for RF and PV energy harvesting and a microwatt interface for implanted capacitive sensors.

SOI Devices and Ring Oscillators on Thin Dielectric Membranes For Pressure Sensing Applications

As first characterization results, static measurements showed variations between -2% and +6% of drain current of individual devices, VCOs revealed to be responsive to mechanical solicitation and, finally edgeless devices proved to be suitable for dynamic pressure sensing. Hence, the structure and the sensitivity of these systems allow us to figure out a wide range of possible applications, such as propeller shaft speed measurements.