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1887

access icon free Efficient ultra-high-voltage controller-based complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor  switched-capacitor DC–DC converter for radio-frequency micro-electro-mechanical systems switch actuation

© The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Received 16/01/2012, Accepted 11/12/2012, Revised 31/10/2012, Published

Achieving wireless connectivity in ever smaller, lower power portable devices with increasing number of features and better radio-frequency (RF) performance is becoming difficult to fulfill through existing RF front-end technology. RF micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switch technology, which has significantly better RF characteristics than conventional technology and has near-zero power consumption, is one of the emerging solutions for next generation RF front-ends. However, to achieve satisfactory RF MEMS device performance, it is often necessary to have an actuating circuitry to generate high direct current (DC) voltages for device actuation with low power consumption. In this study, the authors present an RF MEMS switch controller based on a switched-capacitor (SC) DC–DC converter in a 0.35 μm CMOS technology. In this design, novel design techniques for a higher output voltage and lower power consumption in a smaller die area are proposed. The authors demonstrate the design of the high-voltage (HV) SC DC–DC converter by using low-voltage  transistors and address reliability issues in the design. Through the proposed design techniques, the SC DC–DC converter achieves more than 25% higher boosted voltage compared to converters that use HV transistors. The proposed design provides 40% power reduction through the charge recycling circuit. Moreover, the SC DC–DC converter achieves 45% smaller than the area of the conventional converter.

Inspec keywords: CMOS integrated circuits; radiofrequency integrated circuits; integrated circuit design; microswitches; microcontrollers; switching convertors; switched capacitor networks; DC-DC power convertors; integrated circuit reliability; power control; microactuators; voltage regulators

Other keywords: size 0.35 mum; reliability issue; radiofrequency microelectromechanical system switch actuation; RF front-end technology; higher output voltage; direct current voltage; high-voltage SC DC–DC converter; CMOS technology; SC; ultrahigh-voltage controller; charge recycling circuit; RF MEMS switch controller; near-zero power consumption; HV transistor; low-voltage transistor; DC voltage; lower power portable device; complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor switched-capacitor DC-DC converter; wireless connectivity

Subjects: Time varying and switched networks; Reliability; CMOS integrated circuits; Relays and switches; Power electronics, supply and supervisory circuits; Semiconductor integrated circuit design, layout, modelling and testing; Power and energy control; Microprocessor chips; Voltage control; Design and modelling of MEMS and NEMS devices; Microwave integrated circuits; Microprocessors and microcomputers

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