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Description
A proposed visible spectrum nanoscale imaging method requires material with permittivity values much larger than those available in real world materials to shrink the visible wavelength to attain the desired resolution. It has been proposed that the extraordinarily slow propagation experienced by light guided along plasmon resonant structures is a viable approach to obtaining these short wavelengths. To assess the feasibility of such a system, an effective medium model of a chain of Noble metal plasmonic nanospheres is developed, leading to a straightforward calculation of the waveguiding properties. Evaluation of other models for such structures that have appeared in the literature, including an eigenvalue problem nearest neighbor approximation, a multi- neighbor approximation with retardation, and a method-of-moments method for a finite chain, show conflicting expectations of such a structure. In particular, recent publications suggest the possibility of regions of invalidity for eigenvalue problem solutions that are considered far below the onset of guidance, and for solutions that assume the loss is low enough to justify perturbation approximations. Even the published method-of-moments approach suffers from an unjustified assumption in the original interpretation, leading to overly optimistic estimations of the attenuation of the plasmon guided wave. In this work it is shown that the method of moments approach solution was dominated by the radiation from the source dipole, and not the waveguiding behavior claimed. If this dipolar radiation is removed the remaining fields ought to contain the desired guided wave information. Using a Prony's-method-based algorithm the dispersion properties of the chain of spheres are assessed at two frequencies, and shown to be dramatically different from the optimistic expectations in much of the literature. A reliable alternative to these models is to replace the chain of spheres with an effective medium model, thus mapping the chain problem into the well-known problem of the dielectric rod. The solution of the Green function problem for excitation of the symmetric longitudinal mode (TM01) is performed by numerical integration. Using this method the frequency ranges over which the rod guides and the associated attenuation are clearly seen. The effective medium model readily allows for variation of the sphere size and separation, and can be taken to the limit where instead of a chain of spheres we have a solid Noble metal rod. This latter case turns out to be the optimal for minimizing the attenuation of the guided wave. Future work is proposed to simulate the chain of photonic nanospheres and the nanowire using finite-difference time-domain to verify observed guided behavior in the Green's function method devised in this thesis and to simulate the proposed nanosensing devices.
ContributorsHale, Paul (Author) / Diaz, Rodolfo E (Thesis advisor) / Goodnick, Stephen (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Palais, Joseph (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
There is a pervasive need in the defense industry for conformal, low-profile, efficient and broadband (HF-UHF) antennas. Broadband capabilities enable shared aperture multi-function radiators, while conformal antenna profiles minimize physical damage in army applications, reduce drag and weight penalties in airborne applications and reduce the visual and RF signatures of the communication node. This dissertation is concerned with a new class of antennas called Magneto-Dielectric wire antennas (MDWA) that provide an ideal solution to this ever-present and growing need. Magneto-dielectric structures (μr>1;εr>1) can partially guide electromagnetic waves and radiate them by leaking off the structure or by scattering from any discontinuities, much like a metal antenna of the same shape. They are attractive alternatives to conventional whip and blade antennas because they can be placed conformal to a metallic ground plane without any performance penalty. A two pronged approach is taken to analyze MDWAs. In the first, antenna circuit models are derived for the prototypical dipole and loop elements that include the effects of realistic dispersive magneto-dielectric materials of construction. A material selection law results, showing that: (a) The maximum attainable efficiency is determined by a single magnetic material parameter that we term the hesitivity: Closely related to Snoek's product, it measures the maximum magnetic conductivity of the material. (b) The maximum bandwidth is obtained by placing the highest amount of μ" loss in the frequency range of operation. As a result, high radiation efficiency antennas can be obtained not only from the conventional low loss (low μ") materials but also with highly lossy materials (tan(δm)>>1). The second approach used to analyze MDWAs is through solving the Green function problem of the infinite magneto-dielectric cylinder fed by a current loop. This solution sheds light on the leaky and guided waves supported by the magneto-dielectric structure and leads to useful design rules connecting the permeability of the material to the cross sectional area of the antenna in relation to the desired frequency of operation. The Green function problem of the permeable prolate spheroidal antenna is also solved as a good approximation to a finite cylinder.
ContributorsSebastian, Tom (Author) / Diaz, Rodolfo E (Thesis advisor) / Pan, George (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Kozicki, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
The medical industry has benefited greatly by electronic integration resulting in the explosive growth of active medical implants. These devices often treat and monitor chronic health conditions and require very minimal power usage. A key part of these medical implants is an ultra-low power two way wireless communication system. This enables both control of the implant as well as relay of information collected. This research has focused on a high performance receiver for medical implant applications. One commonly quoted specification to compare receivers is energy per bit required. This metric is useful, but incomplete in that it ignores Sensitivity level, bit error rate, and immunity to interferers. In this study exploration of receiver architectures and convergence upon a comprehensive solution is done. This analysis is used to design and build a system for validation. The Direct Conversion Receiver architecture implemented for the MICS standard in 0.18 µm CMOS process consumes approximately 2 mW is competitive with published research.
ContributorsStevens, Mark (Author) / Kiaei, Sayfe (Thesis advisor) / Bakkaloglu, Bertan (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Barnaby, Hugh (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Due to diminishing availability of 3He, which is the critical component of neutron detecting proportional counters, large area flexible arrays are being considered as a potential replacement for neutron detection. A large area flexible array, utilizing semiconductors for both charged particle detection and pixel readout, ensures a large detection surface area in a light weight rugged form. Such a neutron detector could be suitable for deployment at ports of entry. The specific approach used in this research, uses a neutron converter layer which captures incident thermal neutrons, and then emits ionizing charged particles. These ionizing particles cause electron-hole pair generation within a single pixel's integrated sensing diode. The resulting charge is then amplified via a low-noise amplifier. This document begins by discussing the current state of the art in neutron detection and the associated challenges. Then, for the purpose of resolving some of these issues, recent design and modeling efforts towards developing an improved neutron detection system are described. Also presented is a low-noise active pixel sensor (APS) design capable of being implemented in low temperature indium gallium zinc oxide (InGaZnO) or amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film transistor process compatible with plastic substrates. The low gain and limited scalability of this design are improved upon by implementing a new multi-stage self-resetting APS. For each APS design, successful radiation measurements are also presented using PiN diodes for charged particle detection. Next, detection array readout methodologies are modeled and analyzed, and use of a matched filter readout circuit is described as well. Finally, this document discusses detection diode integration with the designed TFT-based APSs.
ContributorsKunnen, George (Author) / Allee, David (Thesis advisor) / Garrity, Douglas (Committee member) / Gnade, Bruce (Committee member) / Holbert, Keith E. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Modern day deep sub-micron SOC architectures often demand very low supply noise levels. As supply voltage decreases with decreasing deep sub-micron gate length, noise on the power supply starts playing a dominant role in noise-sensitive analog blocks, especially high precision ADC, PLL, and RF SOC's. Most handheld and portable applications and highly sensitive medical instrumentation circuits tend to use low noise regulators as on-chip or on board power supply. Nonlinearities associated with LNA's, mixers and oscillators up-convert low frequency noise with the signal band. Specifically, synthesizer and TCXO phase noise, LNA and mixer noise figure, and adjacent channel power ratios of the PA are heavily influenced by the supply noise and ripple. This poses a stringent requirement on a very low noise power supply with high accuracy and fast transient response. Low Dropout (LDO) regulators are preferred over switching regulators for these applications due to their attractive low noise and low ripple features. LDO's shield sensitive blocks from high frequency fluctuations on the power supply while providing high accuracy, fast response supply regulation.
This research focuses on developing innovative techniques to reduce the noise of any generic wideband LDO, stable with or without load capacitor. The proposed techniques include Switched RC Filtering to reduce the Bandgap Reference noise, Current Mode Chopping to reduce the Error Amplifier noise & MOS-R based RC filter to reduce the noise due to bias current. The residual chopping ripple was reduced using a Switched Capacitor notch filter. Using these techniques, the integrated noise of a wideband LDO was brought down to 15µV in the integration band of 10Hz to 100kHz. These techniques can be integrated into any generic LDO without any significant area overhead.
This research focuses on developing innovative techniques to reduce the noise of any generic wideband LDO, stable with or without load capacitor. The proposed techniques include Switched RC Filtering to reduce the Bandgap Reference noise, Current Mode Chopping to reduce the Error Amplifier noise & MOS-R based RC filter to reduce the noise due to bias current. The residual chopping ripple was reduced using a Switched Capacitor notch filter. Using these techniques, the integrated noise of a wideband LDO was brought down to 15µV in the integration band of 10Hz to 100kHz. These techniques can be integrated into any generic LDO without any significant area overhead.
ContributorsMagod Ramakrishna, Raveesh (Author) / Bakkaloglu, Bertan (Thesis advisor) / Garrity, Douglas (Committee member) / Kitchen, Jennifer (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
A new loop configuration capable of reducing power radiation magnitudes lower than conventional loops has been developed. This configuration is demonstrated for the case of two coaxial loops of 0.1 meter radius coupled via the magnetic reactive field. Utilizing electromagnetism theory, techniques from antenna design and a new near field design initiative, the ability to design a magnetic field has been investigated by using a full wave simulation tool. The method for realization is initiated from first order physics model, ADS and onto a full wave situation tool for the case of a non-radiating helical loop. The exploration into the design of a magnetic near field while mitigating radiation power is demonstrated using an real number of twists to form a helical wire loop while biasing the integer twisted loop in a non-conventional moebius termination. The helix loop setup as a moebius loop convention can also be expressed as a shorted antenna scheme. The 0.1 meter radius helix antenna is biased with a 1MHz frequency that categorized the antenna loop as electrically small. It is then demonstrated that helical configuration reduces the electric field and mitigates power radiation into the far field. In order to compare the radiated power reduction performance of the helical loop a shielded loop is used as a baseline for comparison. The shielded loop system of the same geometric size and frequency is shown to have power radiation expressed as -46.1 dBm. The power radiated mitigation method of the helix loop reduces the power radiated from the two loop system down to -98.72 dBm.
ContributorsMoreno, Fernando (Author) / Diaz, Rodolfo (Thesis advisor) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Kozicki, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
Several state of the art, monitoring and control systems, such as DC motor
controllers, power line monitoring and protection systems, instrumentation systems and battery monitors require direct digitization of a high voltage input signals. Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) that can digitize high voltage signals require high linearity and low voltage coefficient capacitors. A built in self-calibration and digital-trim algorithm correcting static mismatches in Capacitive Digital-to-Analog Converter (CDAC) used in Successive Approximation Register Analog to Digital Converters (SARADCs) is proposed. The algorithm uses a dynamic error correction (DEC) capacitor to cancel the static errors occurring in each capacitor of the array as the first step upon power-up and eliminates the need for an extra calibration DAC. Self-trimming is performed digitally during normal ADC operation. The algorithm is implemented on a 14-bit high-voltage input range SAR ADC with integrated dynamic error correction capacitors. The IC is fabricated in 0.6-um high voltage compliant CMOS process, accepting up to 24Vpp differential input signal. The proposed approach achieves 73.32 dB Signal to Noise and Distortion Ratio (SNDR) which is an improvement of 12.03 dB after self-calibration at 400 kS/s sampling rate, consuming 90-mW from a +/-15V supply. The calibration circuitry occupies 28% of the capacitor DAC, and consumes less than 15mW during operation. Measurement results shows that this algorithm reduces INL from as high as 7 LSBs down to 1 LSB and it works even in the presence of larger mismatches exceeding 260 LSBs. Similarly, it reduces DNL errors from 10 LSBs down to 1 LSB. The ADC occupies an active area of 9.76 mm2.
controllers, power line monitoring and protection systems, instrumentation systems and battery monitors require direct digitization of a high voltage input signals. Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) that can digitize high voltage signals require high linearity and low voltage coefficient capacitors. A built in self-calibration and digital-trim algorithm correcting static mismatches in Capacitive Digital-to-Analog Converter (CDAC) used in Successive Approximation Register Analog to Digital Converters (SARADCs) is proposed. The algorithm uses a dynamic error correction (DEC) capacitor to cancel the static errors occurring in each capacitor of the array as the first step upon power-up and eliminates the need for an extra calibration DAC. Self-trimming is performed digitally during normal ADC operation. The algorithm is implemented on a 14-bit high-voltage input range SAR ADC with integrated dynamic error correction capacitors. The IC is fabricated in 0.6-um high voltage compliant CMOS process, accepting up to 24Vpp differential input signal. The proposed approach achieves 73.32 dB Signal to Noise and Distortion Ratio (SNDR) which is an improvement of 12.03 dB after self-calibration at 400 kS/s sampling rate, consuming 90-mW from a +/-15V supply. The calibration circuitry occupies 28% of the capacitor DAC, and consumes less than 15mW during operation. Measurement results shows that this algorithm reduces INL from as high as 7 LSBs down to 1 LSB and it works even in the presence of larger mismatches exceeding 260 LSBs. Similarly, it reduces DNL errors from 10 LSBs down to 1 LSB. The ADC occupies an active area of 9.76 mm2.
ContributorsThirunakkarasu, Shankar (Author) / Bakkaloglu, Bertan (Thesis advisor) / Garrity, Douglas (Committee member) / Kozicki, Michael (Committee member) / Kitchen, Jennifer (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
The design, fabrication and testing of a novel full waveguide band ortho-mode transducer (OMT) for operation from 750-1150 GHz is presented in this dissertation. OMT is a device that separates orthogonal polarizations within the same frequency band. At millimeter and sub millimeter wavelengths, OMTs can achieve precise characterization of the amplitude, spectrum and polarization of electromagnetic radiation by increasing spectral coverage and sensitivity while reducing aperture size, optical spill and instrumental polarization offsets. A fully planar design is implemented with the use of Robinson OMT model along with a planar finline circuit. CST Microwave Studio is used to design and simulate OMT. Existing finline circuits which were fabricated using photolithographic techniques on a thin dielectric substrate were employed. The finline chips are fabricated on a thin (1 µm) SOI substrate with thick (5 µm) gold finline metallization and gold beam leads for chip grounding. The OMT is designed with H plane splits in the through arm and E plane splits in the side arm to comply with the existing machining tools and technique. Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) machining is used to fabricate the OMT split block. The OMT is tested at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) using Agilent PNA-X VNA and VDI WR1.0 extension heads. In the future, this OMT design could be a part of a fully integrated dual polarization mixer block, with the input horn, OMT and both mixers fabricated in a single flangeless split block. In Radio Astronomy, integrated dual polarization mixers of this type will increase the signal processing speed by 40%. This type of OMT can also be used for terahertz RADAR and communication purposes.
ContributorsSirsi, Siddhartha (Author) / Groppi, Christopher (Thesis advisor) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Thesis advisor) / Mauskopf, Philip (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
A dual-channel directional digital hearing aid (DHA) front-end using a fully differential difference amplifier (FDDA) based Microphone interface circuit (MIC) for a capacitive Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) microphones and an adaptive-power analog font end (AFE) is presented. The Microphone interface circuit based on FDDA converts the capacitance variations into voltage signal, achieves a noise of 32 dB SPL (sound pressure level) and an SNR of 72 dB, additionally it also performs single to differential conversion allowing for fully differential analog signal chain. The analog front-end consists of 40dB VGA and a power scalable continuous time sigma delta ADC, with 68dB SNR dissipating 67u¬W from a 1.2V supply. The ADC implements a self calibrating feedback DAC, for calibrating the 2nd order non-linearity. The VGA and power scalable ADC is fabricated on 0.25 um CMOS TSMC process. The dual channels of the DHA are precisely matched and achieve about 0.5dB gain mismatch, resulting in greater than 5dB directivity index. This will enable a highly integrated and low power DHA
ContributorsNaqvi, Syed Roomi (Author) / Kiaei, Sayfe (Thesis advisor) / Bakkaloglu, Bertan (Committee member) / Chae, Junseok (Committee member) / Barnby, Hugh (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
During the last decades the development of the transistor and its continuous down-scaling allowed the appearance of cost effective wireless communication systems. New generation wideband wireless mobile systems demand high linearity, low power consumption and the low cost devices. Traditional RF systems are mainly analog-based circuitry. Contrary to digital circuits, the technology scaling results in reduction on the maximum voltage swing which makes RF design very challenging. Pushing the interface between the digital and analog boundary of the RF systems closer to the antenna becomes an attractive trend for modern RF devices. In order to take full advantages of the deep submicron CMOS technologies and digital signal processing (DSP), there is a strong trend towards the development of digital transmitter where the RF upconversion is part of the digital-to-analog conversion (DAC). This thesis presents a new digital intermediate frequency (IF) to RF transmitter for 2GHz wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA). The proposed transmitter integrates a 3-level digital IF current-steering cell, an up-conversion mixer with a tuned load and an RF variable gain amplifier (RF VGA) with an embedded finite impulse response (FIR) reconstruction filter in the up-conversion path. A 4th-order 1.5-bit IF bandpass sigma delta modulator (BP SDM) is designed to support in-band SNR while the out-of-band quantization noise due to the noise shaping is suppressed by the embedded reconstruction filter to meet spectrum emission mask and ACPR requirements. The RF VGA provides 50dB power scaling in 10-dB steps with less than 1dB gain error. The design is fabricated in a 0.18um CMOS technology with a total core area of 0.8 x 1.6 mm2. The IC delivers 0dBm output power at 2GHz and it draws approximately 120mA from a 1.8V DC supply at the maximum output power. The measurement results proved that a digital-intensive digital IF to RF converter architecture can be successfully employed for WCDMA transmitter application.
ContributorsHan, Yongping (Author) / Kiaei, Sayfe (Thesis advisor) / Yu, Hongyu (Committee member) / Bakkaloglu, Bertan (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Barnaby, Hugh (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012