Broadband sigma-delta modulation (NXP)

Over the last two decades, the bandwidth of sigma-delta modulators has exceeded more than hundreds of MHz. The state-of-the-art sigma-modulators use combination of circuit techniques, advanced technology nodes and digital calibration to achieve wide bandwidth conversion. However, to achieve bandwidth greater than a few GHz, groundbreaking circuit design techniques must be developed. In this MSc thesis you will work on circuit techniques to increase the bandwidth of a sigma-delta modulator.

In this master thesis project you will do/learn:

• In depth study of ADC (or DAC) architecture
• Design of analog and mixed-signal circuits in 28nm CMOS
• Circuit simulations with Spectre (or other simulator)
• Layout design of circuits and simulation of extracted layout
• Build understanding of impact of process imperfections and parasitic artifacts on performance

A stipend is provided.

Assignment

Overview of the project planning (depending on the progress of the student):

• Literature review of the recent high-speed data converters.
• System level study of the proposed ADC architecture in Matlab/Cadence.
• Circuit and layout implementation.
• Tape-out of the IC followed by measurement.
• Process node: 28nm HPCP.
• Target tape-out date: June 2025

Requirements

• Good knowledge of analog and mixed circuit design.
• Good understanding of Data Converters.
• Familiarity with Matlab and Cadence.
• You will be collaborating with researchers from NXP Semiconductors so good communication and presentation skills are essential.

Contact

Last modified: 2024-02-07