High-Speed Flash Analog-to-Digital Converters

Flash Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs), targeting
optical communication standards, have been reported
in BiCMOS technology. CMOS implementation of such
designs faces two challenges. The first is to achieve
a high sampling speed, given the lower gain-bandwidth
of CMOS technology. The second challenge is to handle
the wide bandwidth of the input signal with certain
accuracy. Although the first problem can be relaxed
by using the time-interleaved architecture, the
second problem remains as a main obstacle to CMOS
implementation. Thus, this work analyzes the
bandwidth-accuracy product of flash ADCs, and
develops a circuit technique to improve the
bandwidth-accuracy product of flash ADCs in deep
submicron CMOS technologies. The performance
improvement that can be attained due to the proposed
circuit technique is demonstrated through the design
and implementation of a 6-bit 1.6-GS/s flash ADC in
0.13-Um CMOS technology.
This work is intended for researchers, graduate
students, and practicing engineers.

Autorentext

Ayman Ismail, PhD: received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees inelectrical engineering from Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1998and 2002, respectively. He received the Ph.D. degree from theUniversity of Waterloo, Canada, in 2007. Since 2007, he has beenan Analog/mixed-signal IC design engineer with the IP division ofGennum Corp., Canada.

Klappentext

Flash Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs), targetingoptical communication standards, have been reportedin BiCMOS technology. CMOS implementation of suchdesigns faces two challenges. The first is to achievea high sampling speed, given the lower gain-bandwidthof CMOS technology. The second challenge is to handlethe wide bandwidth of the input signal with certainaccuracy. Although the first problem can be relaxedby using the time-interleaved architecture, thesecond problem remains as a main obstacle to CMOSimplementation. Thus, this work analyzes thebandwidth-accuracy product of flash ADCs, anddevelops a circuit technique to improve thebandwidth-accuracy product of flash ADCs in deepsubmicron CMOS technologies. The performanceimprovement that can be attained due to the proposedcircuit technique is demonstrated through the designand implementation of a 6-bit 1.6-GS/s flash ADC in0.13-Um CMOS technology.This work is intended for researchers, graduatestudents, and practicing engineers.