Compact CMOS current conveyor for integrated NEMS resonators

A fully integrated nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) resonator together with a compact built-in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) interfacing circuitry is presented. The proposed low-power second generation current conveyor circuit allows measuring the mechanical frequency response of the nanocantilever structure in the megahertz range. Detailed experimental results at different DC biasing conditions and pressure levels are presented for a real mixed electromechanical system integrated through a combination of in-house standard CMOS technology and nanodevice post-processing based on nanostencil lithography. The proposed readout circuit can be adapted to operate the nanocantilever in closed loop as a stand-alone oscillator.     

Efficient and sensitive capacitive readout of nanomechanical resonator arrays

Here we describe all-electronic broadband motion detection in radio frequency nanomechanical resonators. Our technique relies upon the measurement of small motional capacitance changes using an LC impedance transformation network. We first demonstrate the technique on a single doubly clamped beam resonator with a side gate over a wide range of temperatures from 20 mK to 300 K. We then apply the technique to accomplish multiplexed readout of an array of individually addressable resonators, all embedded in a single high-frequency circuit. This technique may find use in a variety of applications ranging from ultrasensitive mass and force sensing to quantum information processing.     

Cryogenic Integrated Offset Compensation for Time Domain SQUID Multiplexing

Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) multiplexing is a common technique in the use of large arrays of Transition Edge Sensors (TES). A?Time Domain Multiplexer (TDM) combines input TES signals into one output signal using several SQUIDs. Different TES, SQUID and amplifier characteristics induce unavoidable different offsets on the multiplexed signal. Additionally, given the periodicity of the SQUID characteristic, the Flux Locked Loop (FLL) operating point is only defined modulo?Φ ₀. This can lead to a large output offset. In multiplexed mode, the difference between offsets associated with different pixels can induce a parasitic signal which is often larger than that of the TES. These offset signals drastically constrain the readout dynamic range and thus the maximum gain allowed. They also limit the signal-to-noise ratio, the FLL stability and the multiplexing frequency. Offsets in SQUID readout are discussed and offset compensation for TDM is presented. The dynamic calibration and compensation on a simplified 4:1?TDM are demonstrated in simulation. Dynamic offset compensation is being implemented on a cryogenic SiGe integrated circuit operated at 4?K for 128:1?TDM.     

Design methodology and experimental results for new ladder-type SAWresonator coupled filters

Design methodology and experimental results for a new type of SAW filter called an “extended SAW resonator coupled filter” used in 800 MHz and 0.6 to 1.0 watt cellular radios are presented. The new filters have very small nonlinearities as well as high-performance and high-power characteristics. We have proposed a new equivalent circuit model for IDTs with leaky SAWs, which includes the propagation losses due to leakage and conductances caused by bulkwave radiation. Synthesis procedures for the new SAW filters based on the new treatments of leaky SAWs are discussed, and simulation and experimental results are also given. The new filters satisfy not only the required frequency-response specifications but also the spurious response sensitivity for an antenna duplexer used in USA cellular radio     

Linearized invariant conductance and capacitance meter for liquids

We consider an automatic conductance and capacitance meter for liquids with linear readout. Two variable resistors are used for balancing the circuit. Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 9, pp. 44–45, September, 1996.     

CCD读出电路中数字补偿式一阶模拟滤波器设计

CCD读出电路中低通滤波器在改善系统输出信噪比的同时,不可避免地会产生像素串扰,造成信息畸变.本文针对CCD读出电路中像素串扰造成的信息畸变问题进行理论分析,推导出信息畸变度与一阶低通模拟滤波器截止频率的关系.并针对视频模拟滤波电路中高阶滤波器的实现困难,提出一种数字补偿式一阶低通模拟滤波器的设计方法,该方法根据本文对信息畸变理论的分析,采用一阶低通滤波器,在满足信息畸变度的前提下,极大降低系统截止频率,达到了应用系统的带宽要求,从而可以在应用系统设计中以一阶滤波器替代高阶滤波器.并设计实验进行验证,证明了该方法的正确性与有效性.     

超声液体界面检测

两种介质的界面位置测量是个困难问题.通过空气与石油界面的测量问题,叙述了利用超声技术测量界面的原理和检测系统,介绍了温度、介质成分对测量的影响与补偿方法.     

Two-dimensional analysis of spurious modes in aluminum nitride film resonators

In this paper, a hybrid method, which combines the traditional concept of guided waves and the finite element method (FEM), is proposed to analyze the spurious modes of aluminum nitride (AIN) film with electrodes. First, the guided wave modes in the plated area are obtained by 1-D FEM. Second, a mode-match method is used to satisfy the boundary conditions. The vibration of the film resonator is a superposition of all of the guided modes. With respect to an A1N film resonator, which is a thickness-stretch mode resonator, we have identified three families of spurious modes: extension, thickness-stretch, and thickness-shear. The spectrum of spurious modes is calculated and the influence of the spurious modes is discussed.     

Suppression of transverse-mode spurious responses for SAW resonators on SiO2/Al/LiNbO3 structure by selective removal of SiO2

A SiO(2)/Al/LiNbO(3) structure has a large electromechanical coupling factor (K(2)) and good temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) for applications as a SAW duplexer of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Band I. However, the SiO(2)/Al/LiNbO(3) structure also supports two unwanted spurious responses; one is caused by the Rayleigh mode and the other by the transverse mode. As the authors have previously discussed, the Rayleigh-mode spurious response can be suppressed by controlling the cross-sectional shape of a SiO(2) overlay deposited on resonator electrodes. In this paper, a new technique to suppress the transverse-mode spurious responses is proposed. In the technique, the SiO(2) overlay is selectively removed from the dummy electrode region. The spurious responses are analyzed by the laser probe system. The results indicate that the spurious responses in question were hybrid modes caused by the coupling between the main (SH) SAW and another (Rayleigh) SAW with different velocities. The hybrid-mode spurious behavior was dependent on the velocities in the IDT and the dummy regions (v(i) and v(d)). The hybrid-mode spurious responses could be suppressed by selectively removing SiO(2). Furthermore, the SAW energy confinement could be enhanced in the IDT electrode region when v(i) < v(d). The transverse-mode spurious responses were successfully suppressed without degrading the SAW resonator performances.     

Resonator/Oscillator response to liquid loading

The resonant frequency of a thickness-shear mode resonator operated in contact with a fluid was measured with a network analyzer and with an oscillator circuit. The network analyzer measures changes in the device's intrinsic resonant frequency, which varies linearly with (ρη)(1/2), where ρ and η are liquid density and viscosity, respectively. The resonator/oscillator combination, however, responds differently to liquid loading than the resonator alone. By applying the operating constraints of the oscillator to an equivalent-circuit model for the liquid-loaded resonator, the response of the resonator/oscillator pair can be determined. By properly tuning the resonator/oscillator pair, the dynamic range of the response can be extended and made more linear, closely tracking the response of the resonator alone. This allows the system to measure higher viscosity and higher density liquids with greater accuracy.     

Detecting and evaluating the signals of wirelessly interrogational passive SAW resonator sensors

The wireless sensing signal of a passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator sensor is the response of the SAW resonator in a passive circuit to wireless radio frequency interrogation. The response is produced only in the case that the interrogation covers the operational frequency band of the resonator. The wireless response is transient and can only be detectable in a proximity after switching off the interrogation. Due to the fact that, while used as a sensor, the resonant frequency of the resonator is related to and varying with the measurand, the interrogation to a passive SAW resonator sensor has to trace and follow the correspondent variation of the frequency band of the device. The energy evaluation of the response is applied to detect the availability of the sensing response and is used as a feedback argument to roughly localize the operational frequency range of the sensor. A modified frequency estimation is employed to estimate the sensing characteristic frequency in the transient wireless sensing signal with a low signal-to-noise ratio. The estimation is used to further adjust the interrogation frequency to follow the frequency variation of the sensor until the response becomes optimal. The evaluation of signal energy along with the statistical quantity of frequency estimation gives a reference for the confidence of the estimated frequency.     

Viscosity-density sensor with resonant torsional paddle for direct detection in liquid

A novel micro-machined biosensor based on the resonant torsional paddle with electromagnetic excitation which can work in liquid directly is presented. The sensor designed consists of two paddles with resonant torsional mode, in which the energy loss of the resonator during the vibration is so lower that it can be suitable for detection in liquid. Finite element method analysis was carried out to guarantee the sensitivity of the sensor. Micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) bulk silicon processes were adopted to accomplish the fabrication. A positive-feedback circuit with energy compensation is designed to improve the characteristics of the sensor in liquid. Experiments show that the resonant torsional paddle can work directly in liquid and the Q-factor of the sensor in liquid can be improved from 2.65 to 40 with energy compensation. Viscosity tests and density tests for the sensor show that the decrease in frequency and the decrease in Q-factor are related to density and viscosity of the solutions, respectively.     

An interface circuit for measuring capacitance changes based upon capacitance-to-duty cycle (CDC) converter

We present a direct-to-digital capacitive sensor readout circuit that converts capacitance changes of a sensor element to changes of the duty cycle of a square-wave oscillator, which, in turn, is converted to a digital output by a counter. The readout circuit resembles a single-slope analog-to-digital converter structure. There are several advantages of this readout scheme. First, due to its simplicity and low number of components, the power consumption of the circuit is expected to be significantly smaller than in similar digital readout designs. Furthermore, linearization of the output may be achieved using an EEPROM lookup table. Another advantage is the possibility of performing adaptive measurements where the sensor resolution and bandwidth may be changed via the readout circuit software. Finally, we present a theory of the adaptive measurement and an analysis of the design tradeoffs. The capacitance-to-duty cycle readout circuit may achieve large bandwidth and high resolution in a modern low-voltage, low-power CMOS implementation. The performance of a prototype readout circuit built from discrete components is 13-bit effective resolution with a 1-kHz bandwidth.     

Precise derivation for the equivalent circuit parameters of a crystal resonator with series capacitor

An exact formula for the equivalent circuit of a crystal resonator in series with a capacitor is derived. Network analysis is used to obtain an exact formula for the equivalent circuit parameters without applying any approximations. The result is an expansion of that obtained by those who used assumptions regarding high frequency, high quality factor, high capacitance ratio, and so on. Hence, this formula can be used for instances of low quality factor or low capacitance ratio, and even for the actual inductor-capacitor network as long as these devices have the same equivalent circuits. The enhanced accuracy of the new formula extends itself to oscillator frequency calibration, temperature compensation, and electronic frequency control.     

Design of an Ultra Broad Band YIG-Tuned FET Oscillator Operating within -45～＋65℃

In this paper, the design of an ultra broad band YIG-Tuned FET oscillator is briefly presented. These performances of the superior linearity, the pure spectrum and the ultra broad band tuned oscillation have been realized by a common source circuit topology and a dual coupling YIG resonator. Using a BeO substrate and a buffering amplification stage made up of monolithic MIC traveling wave amplifier, the RF output power has been obtained above 13 dBm in the range from 4 to 16.5 GHz; By means of YIG heater and the temperature compensation of the magnetic circuit, the broad temperature operation performance of YTO has been realized within -45～+65℃.     

Novel Frequency-Domain Multiplexing MKID Readout for the LiteBIRD Satellite

The satellite LiteBIRD (Light satellite for the studies of B-mode polarization and Inflation from cosmic background Radiation Detection) is being designed to detect the B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation. LiteBIRD will carry about 2,000 detectors for measurements in five bands (60, 80, 100, 150, and 220 GHz). Microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) that can be multiplexed in a single readout line are suitable for the large focal plane detector array. We develop an MKID readout system for LiteBIRD to monitor the amplitude, phase, and resonant frequency of each MKID resonator simultaneously and follow movements of the resonant frequency caused by changes in the input radiation intensity. This mechanism enables us to have a larger dynamic range for the MKIDs, compared with a system that monitors the amplitude and phase on the resonant frequency. We also propose an MKID having a half-wavelength resonator. This MKID transmits the resonant microwave signal from one feedline to another. It can offer clear microwaves passing through the resonators, even if the coupling and internal quality factors are mismatched. With this MKID, our readout system can track resonance frequency changes much more easily. We present the status of the readout system development and demonstrate the performance with the half-wavelength MKID.     

Integrated optical Young interferometer

The integrated optical configuration of a Young interferometer is proposed for refractometry and chemical sensing. We coupled light into an integrated optical Ybranch by fixing a laser diode directly at the input of the optical device. We solved the problem of ambiguity in the interference order by operating the laser diode at currents below threshold, resulting in visibility modulation of the interference fringes caused by the low coherence length of the emitted light. A very compact device results that measures the refractive index of liquids or gases. An electronic scanning technique by means of a CCD array provides a fast readout without the need for moving parts.     

用于挥发性有机化合物探测的微悬臂梁传感器

在研制成功的用于化学气体探测的热驱动微悬臂梁谐振器的基础上,提出了基于这种微悬臂梁谐振器,并以聚合物涂层作为挥发性有机化合物吸附敏感层的谐振式气体传感器.利用3种聚合物材料：聚氧化乙烯（PEO）、聚乙烯醇（PVA）和聚乙二醇乙醚醋酸酯（PEVA）,在微悬臂梁谐振器上制备气体敏感层,探测6种挥发性有机化合物：甲苯、苯、乙醇、丙酮、己烷和辛烷.通过有限元分析估计了聚合物涂层的工作温度.用喷射法制备了PVA和PE-VA涂层,用点滴法制备了PEO涂层.测试了传感器的开环幅频特性,实验检测了气体传感器的谐振频率变化与分析物蒸气浓度的关系以及传感器对相对湿度的响应,分析了传感器的灵敏度和线性度.实验结果表明,这种涂覆聚合物敏感层的热驱动微悬臂梁谐振器为探测挥发性有机化合物提供了良好的平台.根据实验结果,可开发几种基于不同聚合物敏感层的高灵敏度微型气体传感器.     

Capacitively-Coupled SQUID Bias for Time Division Multiplexing

The multiplexing scheme presented in this paper is part of the readout chain of the QUBIC instrument devoted to cosmic microwave background polarization observations. It is based on time domain multiplexing using superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) to read out a large array of superconducting bolometers. The originality of the multiplexer presented here lies in the use of capacitors for the SQUID addressing. Capacitive coupling allows us to bias many SQUIDs in parallel (in a 2D topology), with low crosstalk and low power dissipation of the cryogenic front-end readout. However, capacitors in series with the SQUID require a modification of the addressing strategy. This paper presents a bias reversal technique adopted to sequentially address the SQUIDs through capacitors using a cryogenic SiGe integrated circuit. We further present the different limitations of this technique and how to choose the proper capacitance for a given multiplexing frequency and current source compliance.     

Improved equivalent circuits for complementary split-ring resonator-based high-pass filter with C-shaped couplings

The authors modify the complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) with dual C-shaped couplings for high-pass filter (HPF) design and propose improved equivalent circuits as a means to analyse the filter. The p-type circuit of the dual C-shaped coupling in the CSRR-based HPF is presented to have the improved equivalent circuit in contrast to the conventional equivalent circuit. At 3 dB, the cut-off frequency f _{? 1.74 GHz, the maximum IL is within 0.33 dB up to 8 GHz and the 65.81 dB rejection extends down to 0.53 GHz. Simulation and measurement results including surface current distributions and frequency responses are presented and discussed.}