Interface IC Design for MEMS and Sensors

(3-0-0-3)

CMPE Degree: This course is Not Applicable for the CMPE degree.

EE Degree: This course is Not Applicable for the EE degree.

Lab Hours: 0 supervised lab hours and 0 unsupervised lab hours.

Technical Interest Group(s) / Course Type(s): Electronic Design and Applications

Course Coordinator: Farrokh Ayazi

Prerequisites: ECE 4430

Corequisites: None.

Catalog Description

Design of low-noise interface circuits for sensors and micromechanical devices (MEMS). Design of integrated microsystems.

Textbook(s)

Analysis and Design of Analog Integrated Circuits, Design of Analog CMOS Integrated Circuits

Course Outcomes

Not Applicable

Student Outcomes

In the parentheses for each Student Outcome:
"P" for primary indicates the outcome is a major focus of the entire course.
“M” for moderate indicates the outcome is the focus of at least one component of the course, but not majority of course material.
“LN” for “little to none” indicates that the course does not contribute significantly to this outcome.

1. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics

2. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors

3. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences

4. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts

5. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives

6. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions

7. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Strategic Performance Indicators (SPIs)

Outcome 1 (Students will demonstrate expertise in a subfield of study chosen from the fields of electrical engineering or computer engineering):
1. Understand integrated transducers and electromechanical mechanisms for sensing and actuation
2. Understand sensor interface circuits and signal conditioning architectures and tradeoffs between system parameters

Outcome 2 (Students will demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate advanced problems and apply knowledge of mathematics and science to solve those problems):
1. Analyze various noise sources and determine the input referred noise in sensor interfaces
2. Analyze capacitance-to-voltage convertor circuits and trans-impedance amplifiers in sensor interfaces and MEMS crystal oscillators

Outcome 3 (Students will demonstrate the ability to utilize current knowledge, technology, or techniques within their chosen subfield):
1. Design interface circuits for any sensor or micromechanical device and demonstrate their intended operation and performance through analysis and simulation.

Course Objectives

Topical Outline

1. Integrated Sensors and Actuators: An Overview
a. MEMS: microsensors, microactuators, frequency references, energy harvesters
b. Integrated sensors and actuators (CMOS-based and MEMS-based)
c. MEMS-CMOS processes
d. Overview of micromachining and microfabrication techniques
2. Transducers and Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) Devices
a. Sensor specifications
b. Micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) sensor design and modeling
c. MEMS accelerometers
d. Integrated signal transduction mechanism and modeling
e. Image sensors
f. Electrophoresis, electrochemical sensors
g. Sensor noise sources, electro-mechanical mechanisms, and modeling: Brownian noise, pull-in voltage, comb-drives, electrostatic stiffness, nonlinearities, etc.
h. Electrical modeling of resonators and micromechanical devices
i. MEMS resonators, Quality factor (Q)
j. MEMS Coriolis gyroscopes
3. Interface Circuits for MEMS and Sensors
a. Fundamentals of noise in ICs
b. Continuous and sampled-data systems
c. Switched capacitor charge amplifiers and integrators
d. Capacitive AC bridges
e. Dynamic noise and offset cancellation techniques: Chopping, Auto-Zeroing, CDS
f. Dynamic element matching
g. Fully-differential op-amps
h. Low noise op-amps and trans-impedance amplifiers (TIA)
i. Distortion analysis
j. Effect of feedback on noise and distortion
k. Charge pumps
l. Bandgap reference, supply independent biasing
m. Overview of data converters
4. MEMS Oscillators
a. MEMS acoustic resonators, flexural and bulk acoustic wave resonators, modeling
b. Oscillator design principles (Relaxation, LC, Micromechanical Resonator based)
c. Trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) design
d. MEMS oscillator design using TIA
e. Open-loop and feedback TIA
f. Phase noise in oscillators
g. Automatic level control in oscillators, controlling amplitude & phase in MEMS oscillators
h. Frequency tuning
i. Allan variance analysis