A universal level converter towards the realization of energy efficient implantable drug delivery Nano-Electro-Mechanical-Systems

Nano-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (NEMS) are a technological solution for building miniature systems which can be beneficial in terms of safety, efficacy, or convenience. Thus investigation is necessary for their usefulness in drug delivery. In order to be an effective and reliable implantable system the DDNEMS (Drug Delivery Nano-Electro-Mechanical-System) should have low power dissipation, fault tolerance, and reconfigurability capabilities. In this paper we introduce a DDNEMS architecture, identify its major components, and propose the design of the crucial component universal (voltage) level converter (ULC). The ULC is a unique component that will reduce dynamic power and leakage of DDNEMS while facilitating its reconfigurability. The ULC is capable of performing level-up and level-down conversions and can block an input signal. We have prototyped a ULC using 32 nm high-K/metal-gate nano-CMOS technology with dual-V_Th technique. The robustness of the design is tested by carrying out three types of analysis, namely: parametric, load and power. It is observed that the ULC produces a stable output for voltages as low as 0.35 V and loads varying from 50 fF to 120 fF. The average power dissipation of the proposed level converter with a 82 fF capacitive load is 5muW.