• Journal of Semiconductor Engineering
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.136-141
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• 2021

This paper analyzes the tree expansion for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) detection in the viewpoint of hardware implementation. The tree expansion is to calculate path metrics of child nodes performed in every visit to a node while traversing the detection tree. Accordingly, the tree-expansion unit (TEU), which is responsible for such a task, has been an essential component in a MIMO detector. Despite the paramount importance, the analyses on the TEUs in the literature are not thorough enough. Accordingly, we further investigate the hardware complexity of the TEUs to suggest a guideline for selection. In this paper, we focus on a pair of major ways to implement the TEU: 1) a full parallel realization; 2) a transformation of the formulae followed by common subexpression elimination (CSE). For a logical comparison, the numbers of multipliers and adders are first enumerated. To evaluate them in a more practical manner, the TEUs are implemented in a 65-nm CMOS process, and their propagation delays, gate counts, and power consumptions were measured explicitly. Considering the target specification of a MIMO system and the implementation results comprehensively, one can choose which architecture to adopt in realizing a detector.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 2009

In this paper, a 3.2Gb/s clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit for a high-speed serial data communication without the reference clock is described This CDR circuit consists of 5 parts as Phase and frequency detector(PD and FD), multi-phase Voltage Controlled-Oscillator(VCO), Charge-pumps (CP) and external Loop-Filter(KF). It is adapted the PD and FD, which incorporates a half-rate bang-bang type oversampling PD and a half-rate FD that can improve pull-in range. The VCO consists of four fully differential delay cells with rail-to-rail current bias scheme that can increase the tuning range and tuning linearity. Each delay cell has output buffers as a full-swing generator and a duty-cycle mismatch compensation. This materialized CDR can achieve wide pull-in range without an extra reference clock and it can be also reduced chip area and power consumption effectively because there is no additional Phase Locked- Loop(PLL) for generating reference clock. The CDR circuit was designed for fabrication using 0.18um 1P6M CMOS process and total chip area excepted LF is $1{\times}1mm^2$. The pk-pk jitter of recovered clock is 26ps at 3.2Gb/s input data rate and total power consumes 63mW from 1.8V supply voltage according to simulation results. According to test result, the pk-pk jitter of recovered clock is 55ps at the same input data-rate and the reliable range of input data-rate is about from 2.4Gb/s to 3.4Gb/s.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 1998

Multi-channel sensors can be used to increase the reliability and remove the random iloise in ion-sensitive field effect transistors(ISFETs). Multi-channel sensors is also an essential step toward potential fabrication of sensors for several ionic species in one device. However, when the multi-channel sensors are separately biased, the biasing problems become difficult, that is to say, the bias circuit is needed as many sensors. In this work, a circuit for biasing the four pH-ISFETs in null-balance method, where bias voltages are switched, was proposed. The proposed concept is need only one bias circuit for the four sensors. Therefore it has advantages of smaller size and lower power consumption than the case that all sensors are separately biased at a time. The proposed circuit was tested with discrete devices and its performance was investigated. In the recent trend, sensor systems are implemented as portable systems. So the verified measurement circuit was integrated by using the CMOS circuit. Fortunately, ISFET fabrication process can be compatible with CMOS process. Full circuit has a mask area of $660{\mu}m{\times}500{\mu}m$. In the future, this step will be used for developing the smart sensor system with ISFET.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2016

This paper describes a new PMU(parametric measurement unit) design technique for automatic test equipment(ATE). Only one DDA(differential difference amplifier) is used to force the test signals to DUT(device under test), while conventional design uses two or more amplifiers to force test signals. Since the proposed technique does not need extra amplifiers in feedback path, the proposed PMU inherently guarantees stable operation. Moreover, to measure the response signals from DUT, proposed technique also adopted only one DDA amplifier as an IA(instrument amplifier), while conventional IA uses 3 amplifiers and several resistors. The DDA adopted two rail-to-rail differential input stages to handle full-range differential signals. Gain enhancement technique is used in folded-cascode type DDA to get open loop gain of 100 dB. Proposed PMU design enables accurate and stable operation with smaller hardware and lower power consumption. This PMU is implemented with 0.18 um CMOS process and supply voltage is 1.8 V. Input ranges for each force mode are 0.25~1.55 V at voltage force and 0.9~0.935 V at current force mode.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartA
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• v.11A no.2
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• pp.195-202
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• 2004

This paper introduces the design or parallel Pipeline high-speed analog-to-digital converter(ADC) for the high-resolution video applications which require very precise sampling. The overall architecture of the ADC consists of 4-channel parallel time-interleaved 10-bit pipeline ADC structure a]lowing 200MSample/s sampling speed which corresponds to 4-times improvement in sampling speed per channel. Key building blocks are composed of the front-end sample-and-hold amplifier(SHA), the dynamic comparator and the 2-stage full differential operational amplifier. The 1-bit DAC, comparator and gain-2 amplifier are used internally in each stage and they were integrated into single switched capacitor architecture allowing high speed operation as well as low power consumption. In this work, the gain of operational amplifier was enhanced significantly using negative resistance element. In the ADC, a delay line Is designed for each stage using D-flip flops to align the bit signals and minimize the timing error in the conversion. The converter has the power dissipation of 280㎽ at 3.3V power supply. Measured performance includes DNL and INL of +0.7/-0.6LSB, +0.9/-0.3LSB.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1125-1134
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• 2011

In this paper a wideband frequency synthesizer is designed for DTV tuners using a $0.18{\mu}m$ CMOS process. It satisfies the DTV frequency band(48~1675MHz). A scheme is proposed to cover the full band using only one VCO and reliable broadband characteristics are achieved by reducing the variations of VCO gains and frequency steps. The simulation results show that the designed VCO has frequency range of 1.85~4.22GHz, phase noise at 4.22GHz of -89.7dBc/Hz@100kHz, gains of 62.4~95.8MHz/V(${\pm}21.0%$) and frequency steps of 22.9~47.9MHz(${\pm}35.3%$). The designed VCO has a phase noise of -89.75dBc/Hz at 100kHz offset. The designed synthesizer has a lock time less than $0.15{\mu}s$. The measured VCO tuning range is 2.05~3.4GHz. The frequency range is shifted down but still satisfy the target range owing to the design for enough margin. The designed circuit consumes 23~27mA from a 1.8V supply, and the chip size including PADs is $2.0mm{\times}1.5mm$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.93-96
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• 2008

This paper describes an efficient design of a multi-standard Viterbi decoder that supports multiple constraint lengths and code rates. The Viterbi decode. is parameterized for the code rates 1/2, 1/3 and constraint lengths 7, 9, thus it has four operation modes. In order to achieve low hardware complexity and low power, an efficient architecture based on hardware sharing techniques is devised. Also, the optimization of ACCS (Accumulate-Subtract) circuit for the one-point trace-back algorithm reduces its area by about 35% compared to the full parallel ACCS circuit. The parameterized Viterbi decoder core has 79,818 gates and 25,600 bits memory, and the estimated throughput is about 105 Mbps at 70 MHz clock frequency.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.125-133
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• 2010

A versatile micro-robotic platform for micro/nano scale assembly has been demanded in a variety of application areas such as micro-biology and nanotechnology. In the near future, a flexible and compact platform could be effectively used in a scanning electron microscope chamber. We are developing a platform that consists of miniature mobile robots and a compact positioning stage with multi degree-of-freedom. This paper presents the design and the implementation of a low-cost and compact multi degree of freedom position sensor that is capable of measuring absolute translational and rotational displacement. The proposed sensor is implemented by using a CMOS type image sensor and a target with specific hole patterns. Experimental design based on statistics was applied to finding optimal design of the target. Efficient algorithms for image processing and absolute position decoding are discussed. Simple calibration to eliminate the influence of inaccuracy of the fabricated target on the measuring performance also presented. The developed sensor was characterized by using a laser interferometer. It can be concluded that the sensor system has submicron resolution and accuracy of ${\pm}4{\mu}m$ over full travel range. The proposed vision-based sensor is cost-effective and used as a compact feedback device for implementation of a micro robotic platform.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.280-288
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• 2016

Microelectronic product consumers may already be expecting another paradigm shift with smarter phones over smart phones, but the current status of microelectronic manufacturing engineering education (MMEE) in universities hardly makes up the pace for such a fast moving technology paradigm shift. The purpose of MMEE is to educate four-year university graduates to work in the microelectronics industry with up-to-date knowledge and self-motivation. In this paper, we present a comprehensive curriculum for a four-year university degree program in the area of microelectronics manufacturing. Three hands-on experienced-based courses are proposed, along with a methodology for undergraduate students to acquire hands-on experience, towards integrated circuits (ICs) design, fabrication and packaging, are presented in consideration of manufacturing engineering education. Semiconductor device and circuit design course for junior level is designed to cover how designed circuits progress to micro-fabrication by practicing full customization of the layout of digital circuits. Hands-on experienced-based semiconductor fabrication courses are composed to enhance students’ motivation to participate in self-motivated semiconductor fab activities by performing a series of collaborations. Finally, the Microelectronics Packaging course provides greater possibilities of mastered skillsets in the area of microelectronics manufacturing with the fabrication of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and board level assembly for microprocessor applications. The evaluation of the presented comprehensive curriculum was performed with a students’ survey. All the students responded with “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” for the manufacturing related courses. Through the development and application of the presented curriculum for the past six years, we are convinced that students’ confidence in obtaining their desired jobs or choosing higher degrees in the area of microelectronics manufacturing was increased. We confirmed that the hypothesis on the inclusion of handson experience-based courses for MMEE is beneficial to enhancing the motivation for learning.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.943-949
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• 2010

This paper presents some improvements on VLSI implementation of lifting-based 9/7 wavelet transform by optimization hardware multiplication. The proposed solution requires less logic area and power consumption without performance loss compared to previous wavelet filter structure based on lifting scheme. This paper proposes a better approach to the hardware implementation using Lefevre algorithm based on extensions of Pattern search methods. To compare the proposed structure to the previous solutions on full multiplier blocks, we implemented them using Verilog HDL. For a hardware implementation of the two solutions, the logical synthesis on 0.18 um standard cells technology show that area, maximum delay and power consumption of the proposed architecture can be reduced up to 51%, 43% and 30%, respectively, compared to previous solutions for a 200 MHz target clock frequency. Our evaluation show that when design VLSI chip of lifting-based 9/7 wavelet filter, our solution is better suited for standard-cell application-specific integrated circuits than prior works on complete multiplier blocks.