Student project: Fast startup ring oscillator

What you will do

Typically during this time, the PLL with ring oscillator that generates the LO signal is still running, needlessly consuming power. Duty-cycling the ring oscillator can save a lot of power, but stabilization of the output frequency after restarting the ring oscillator can take a long time, which reduces the power savings of duty-cycling. This project aims at inventing a way to enable both accurate frequency control and fast startup. You will:

• Literature studies on state-of-the-art ring oscillators
• Background study on ring-oscillator designs in IMEC
• Architecture study and proposal
• Circuit implementation
• Layout and post-layout simulation
• Thesis writing and documentation
• In case of high-quality design: making design into a test-chip which will be produced (tape-out)

What we do for you

As a world-best research institute, we are the center of excellence in RF research. You will receive supervision from world-renown researchers in the field of PLLs and oscillators. You will collaborate with experts in the field of PLL system design, oscillator and PLL circuit design, application and software development. You will get the opportunity to experience all steps of a research project, from architecture design to chip fabrication and possibly measurements.

Who you are

• You are a MSc student
• You are available for a period of 9-12 months
• Good analytical skills (e. g. Mathematical skills)
• Good CAD skills (e. g. MATLAB/Cadence)
• Knowledges of designing CMOS circuits
• Knowledges of RF systems and oscillators
• Structured way of reporting, both orally and written
• Motivated student eager to work independently and expand knowledge in the field
• Good written and verbal English skills

Interested

Does this position sound like an interesting next step in your career at imec? Don’t hesitate to submit your application by clicking on ‘APPLY NOW’.
Should you have more questions about the job, you can contact jobs@imec.nl.