5,528 research outputs found
Design of a Fast Digital Double Relaxation Oscillation SQUID
A fast digital Double Relaxation Oscillation SQUID (DROS) with a relaxation oscillation frequency of 100 MHz has been developed. The digital DROS incorporates a DROS and a superconducting up-down counter that supplies the feedback flux. The major advantage of a DROS is that the relaxation oscillations generate an on-chip clock signal and therefore, no external clock is required. In order to maximize the slew rate without compromising the sensitivity, the quantization unit of the feedback flux was adapted to the flux noise of the DROS. This resulted in a designed flux slew rate of 5·106 ¿0/s. We will discuss the design optimization, numerical simulations, the layout and some experimental results of the digital DRO
Modeling Solder Ball Array Interconnects for Power Module Optimization
PowerSynth is a software platform that can co-optimize power modules utilizing a 2D topology and wire bond interconnects. The novel 3D architectures being proposed at the University of Arkansas utilize solder ball interconnects instead of wire bonds. Therefore, they currently cannot be optimized using PowerSynth. This paper examines methods to accurately model the parasitic inductance of solder balls and ball grid arrays so they may be implemented into software for optimization. Proposed mathematical models are validated against ANSYS Electromagnetics Suite simulations. A comparison of the simulated data shows that mathematical models are well suited for implementation into optimization software platforms. Experimental measurements proved to be inconclusive and necessitate future work
Statistical Power Supply Dynamic Noise Prediction in Hierarchical Power Grid and Package Networks
One of the most crucial high performance systems-on-chip design challenge is to front their power supply noise sufferance due to high frequencies, huge number of functional blocks and technology scaling down. Marking a difference from traditional post physical-design static voltage drop analysis, /a priori dynamic voltage drop/evaluation is the focus of this work. It takes into account transient currents and on-chip and package /RLC/ parasitics while exploring the power grid design solution space: Design countermeasures can be thus early defined and long post physical-design verification cycles can be shortened. As shown by an extensive set of results, a carefully extracted and modular grid library assures realistic evaluation of parasitics impact on noise and facilitates the power network construction; furthermore statistical analysis guarantees a correct current envelope evaluation and Spice simulations endorse reliable result
Accurate a priori signal integrity estimation using a multilevel dynamic interconnect model for deep submicron VLSI design.
A multilevel dynamic interconnect model was derived for accurate a priori signal integrity estimates. Cross-talk and delay estimations over interconnects in deep submicron technology were analyzed systematically using this model. Good accuracy and excellent time-efficiency were found compared with electromagnetic simulations. We aim to build a dynamic interconnect library with this model to facilitate the interconnect issues for future VLSI design
SQUID developments for the gravitational wave antenna MiniGRAIL
We designed two different sensor SQUIDs for the readout of the resonant mass gravitational wave detector MiniGRAIL. Both designs have integrated input inductors in the order of 1.5 muH and are planned for operation in the mK temperature range. Cooling fins were added to the shunt resistors. The fabricated SQUIDs show a behavior that differs from standard DC-SQUIDs. We were able to operate a design with a parallel configuration of washers at reasonable sensitivities. The flux noise saturated to a value of 0.84 muPhi0/radicHz below a temperature of 200 mK. The equivalent noise referred to the current through the input coil is 155 fA/radicHz and the energy resolution yields 62 h
Voltage-current and voltage-flux characteristics of asymmetric high TC DC SQUIDs
We report measurements of transfer functions and flux shifts of 20 on-chip
high T DC SQUIDs half of which were made purposely geometrically
asymmetric. All of these SQUIDs were fabricated using standard high T thin
film technology and they were single layer ones, having 140 nm thickness of
YBaCuO film deposited by laser ablation onto MgO bicrystal
substrates with 24 misorientation angle. For every SQUID the parameters of
its intrinsic asymmetry, i. e., the density of critical current and resistivity
of every junction, were measured directly and independently. We showed that the
main reason for the on-chip spreading of SQUIDs' voltage-current and
voltage-flux characteristics was the intrinsic asymmetry. We found that for
SQUIDs with a relative large inductance ( pH) both the voltage
modulation and the transfer function were not very sensitive to the junctions
asymmetry, whereas SQUIDs with smaller inductance ( pH) were
more sensitive. The results obtained in the paper are important for the
implementation in the sensitive instruments based on high T SQUID arrays
and gratings.Comment: 11 pages, 4 tables, 17 figures This version is substantially
modified. The Introduction and Section 2 are completely rewritten, while
experimental part is mainly the same as in previous versio
Brownian refrigeration by hybrid tunnel junctions
Voltage fluctuations generated in a hot resistor can cause extraction of heat
from a colder normal metal electrode of a hybrid tunnel junction between a
normal metal and a superconductor. We extend the analysis presented in [Phys.
Rev. Lett. 98, 210604 (2007)] of this heat rectifying system, bearing
resemblance to a Maxwell's demon. Explicit analytic calculations show that the
entropy of the total system is always increasing. We then consider a single
electron transistor configuration with two hybrid junctions in series, and show
how the cooling is influenced by charging effects. We analyze also the cooling
effect from nonequilibrium fluctuations instead of thermal noise, focusing on
the shot noise generated in another tunnel junction. We conclude by discussing
limitations for an experimental observation of the effect.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figure
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