Title :
A Robust 130nm-CMOS Built-In Current Sensor Dedicated to RF Applications
Author :
Cimino, M. ; Lapuyade, H. ; de Matos, M. ; Taris, T. ; Deval, Y. ; Bégueret, J.B.
Author_Institution :
IXL Lab., Bordeaux
Abstract :
An otherwise well-known ratiometric built-in current sensor (BICS) dedicated to monitor the current of analog and mixed-signal building blocks highlights a dependency with regards to technology discrepancy. In this paper we present a design methodology that allows to dramatically reduce the dependency, yielding to a new version of this BICS. Taking advantage of a 130 nm VLSI CMOS technology, the BICS proposed has a peak-to-peak dispersion lower than 10 % of its output full-scale range. It makes it more suitable to implement the test functionality while maintaining the initial BICS intrinsic performances. The built-in self test methodology is illustrated by monitoring the supply current of a low-noise amplifier (LNA). Measurements confirm the BICS´s low sensitivity to process variations and its transparency relative to the circuit under test (CUT)
Keywords :
CMOS integrated circuits; VLSI; analogue integrated circuits; built-in self test; design for testability; electric current measurement; low noise amplifiers; mixed analogue-digital integrated circuits; sensors; 130 nm; CMOS built-in current sensor; VLSI CMOS technology; analog integrated circuits; built-in self test; circuit under test; design for testability; low-noise amplifier; mixed-signal integrated circuits; Automatic testing; CMOS technology; Circuit testing; Current supplies; Design methodology; Monitoring; Performance evaluation; Radio frequency; Robustness; Very large scale integration; Design for testability - Built-In current sensor - Analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits - CMOS technology - Robustness.;
Conference_Titel :
Test Symposium, 2006. ETS '06. Eleventh IEEE European
Conference_Location :
Southampton
Print_ISBN :
0-7695-2566-0
