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Ultra-Low-Voltage Clock References

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Analog and Mixed-Signal Circuits in Nanoscale CMOS

Part of the book series: Analog Circuits and Signal Processing ((ACSP))

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Abstract

Clock references are indispensable circuit modules. The Internet of Things (IoT) devices, in particular, usually require a reference with high spectral purity for the phase-locked loop to generate the carrier signal and a low-power always-on reference to serve as the timer. This chapter discusses the design of two clock references operating at ultra-low supply voltage (<0.5 V) for energy-harvesting Internet-of-Things sensor nodes. The first is a sub-0.5 V 16/24 MHz crystal oscillator with a fast startup feature to accommodate the periodic duty-cycling scheme of the Internet-of-Things device. We prototyped the design in 65 nm CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor). The second is a 0.35 V 2.1 MHz fully integrated relaxation oscillator implemented in 28 nm CMOS. It features an asymmetric swing-boosted RC (resistor-capacitor) network and a dual-path comparator to surmount the challenges of sub-0.5 V operation while achieving temperature resilience. This chapter elaborates both designs in detail.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State-Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI/IME and FST-ECE, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China

    Ka-Meng Lei, Pui-In Mak & Rui P. Martins

  2. Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Rui P. Martins

Authors
  1. Ka-Meng Lei
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  2. Pui-In Mak
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  3. Rui P. Martins
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Correspondence to Ka-Meng Lei .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Macau, Macao, China

    Rui Paulo da Silva Martins

  2. University of Macau, Macao, China

    Pui-In Mak

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Lei, KM., Mak, PI., Martins, R.P. (2023). Ultra-Low-Voltage Clock References. In: Paulo da Silva Martins, R., Mak, PI. (eds) Analog and Mixed-Signal Circuits in Nanoscale CMOS. Analog Circuits and Signal Processing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22231-3_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22231-3_3

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