RF2: A 1GHz FIR Filter with Distributed Resonant Clock Generator

In this paper we present the design and experimental validation of RF2, a 1 GHz, two-phase resonant-clocked FIR filter test-chip with a distributed resonant clock generator and an on-chip inductor. RF2 is fabricated in a 0.13 mum CMOS process and dissipates 124mW at resonance, with clock power accounting for only 16% of overall power. Implemented using a fully ASIC design flow, RF2 achieves 84% clock-power efficiency over CV²f, the highest for any fully-integrated resonant-clocked chip. Resonating at 1.01 GHz, RF2 reports the highest operating frequency for a resonant-clocked datapath to date.