A versatile micro-scale silicon sensor/actuator with low power consumption

We designed a CMOS compatible hot-surface silicon device operating at a power down to sub-µW. It has a pillarshaped structure with a nano-size (10-100 nm) conductive link between the electrodes separated by a SiO2 layer. The device is capable of maintaining a µm-size hot-surface area of several hundred degrees centigrade due to non-radiative recombination of carriers in a thin (13 nm) poly silicon surface layer. Such a device can be used as a light source, a heat source, as well as a sensitive detector of light and heat. As a direct application, we demonstrate the feasibility to perform as an adsorption-desorption sensor, and as a unit for activating chemisorption/decomposition (i.e. micro-reactor)

Miniature backward-diode pressure sensor features stability and low power consumption

Backward-diode pressure transducer retains the advantages of a tunneling mechanism, requires no shunting resistor, operates at a low voltage level, and consumes little power

Tape recorder Patent

Tape recorder designed for low power consumption and resistance to operational failure under high stress condition

Design and simulation of low power consumption polymeric based MMI thermo-optic switch

In optical communication system, optical cross connect devices particularly an optical switch has become the main attraction for research due to its ability to route optical data signals without the need for conversion to electrical signals. Thus, it is important to develop optical devices such as optical switch with low power consumption and crosstalk for Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) lightwave communication system. This project aims towards the design and simulation work of a polymeric based thermo-optic switch using Multimode Interference (MMI) structure to achieve low switching power capability and reduce crosstalk figure. The optical switch is designed on the 2x2 MMI cross coupler architecture of optical switch based on the general interference mechanism. Light propagation and thermal distribution through the optical switch is modeled using Finite Difference Beam Propagation Method (FD-BPM). Photosensitive SU-8 epoxy polymeric based waveguide material at core layers with PMGI at upper and lower cladding layer were chosen due to its low thermal conductivity and high thermo-optic coefficient. Further analysis has been performed by exploring the effect of heater‟s structure and its placement in order to reduce switching power. It is observed that by applying well-designed of heater‟s structure and suitable placement of heater, low power consumption as low as 9.05 mW with crosstalk level of -36.52 dB can be achieved

Localization method for low power consumption systems

Locating nodes is a fundamental problem in wireless networks with hundreds of devices deployed in a wide area. This is especially relevant for mobile nodes. Wireless sensor nodes are usually powered by small batteries, solar panels or piezoelectric generators, so that, and consequently, power consumption is the main constraint to deal with. But classic localization techniques do not consider the problem of energy consumption as a key point. This paper presents a novel low power and range-free localization technique based on distributed fuzzy logic and cooperative processing among a set of fixed nodes and its neighbours. This feature permits better accuracy with less power consumption than most relevant localization techniquesJunta de Andalucía P07-TIC-0247

A Low-power CMOS 2-PPM Demodulator for Energy Detection IR-UWB Receivers

This paper presents an integrated 2-PPM CMOS demodulator for non-coherent energy detection receivers which inherently provides analog-to-digital conversion. The device, called Bi-phase integrator, employs an open loop Gm - C integrator loaded with a switched capacitor network. The circuit has been simulated in a mixed-mode UMC 0.18mum technology and its performance figures are obtained through a mixed-signal simulation environment developed with the aid of ADVanceMS (ADMS, mentor graphics). Bit-error-rate simulations show that the circuit performance is about the same of an ideal energy detection receiver employing infinite quantization resolution. In addition, the simulations show that the circuit provides a complete offset rejection. Thanks to its low power consumption (1 mW during demodulation), its application is appealing for portable devices which aim at very low-power consumption

Low-Power consumption Franz-Keldysh effect plasmonic modulator

In this paper we report on a low energy consumption CMOS-compatible plasmonic modulator based on Franz-Keldysh effect in germanium on silicon. We performed integrated electro-optical simulations in order to optimize the main characteristics of the modulator. A 3.3 dB extinction ratio for a 30 µm long modulator is demonstrated under 3 V bias voltage at an operation wavelength of 1647 nm. The estimated energy consumption is as low as 20 fJ/bit

Visible light emission from reverse-biased silicon nanometer-scale diode-antifuses

Silicon nanometer-scale diodes have been fabricated to emit light in the visible range at low power consumption. Such structures are candidates for emitter elements in Si-based optical interconnect schemes. Spectral measurements of Electroluminescence (EL) on the reverse-biased nanometer-scale diodes brought into breakdown have been carried out over the photon energy range of 1.4-2.8 eV. Previously proposed mechanisms for avalanche emission from conventional silicon p-n junctions are discussed in order to understand the origin of the emission. Also the stability of the diodes has been tested. Results indicate that our nanometer-scale diodes are basically high quality devices. Furthermore due to the nanometer-scale dimensions, very high electrical fields and current densities are possible at low power consumption. This makes these diodes an excellent candidate to be utilized as a light source in Si-based sensors and actuator application

Wein bridge oscillator circuit

Circuit with minimum number of components provides stable outputs of 2 to 8 volts at frequencies of .001 to 100 kHz. Oscillator exhibits low power consumption, portability, simplicity, and drive capability, it has application as loudspeaker tester and audible alarm, as well as in laboratory and test generators