Floating-Gate Ring Oscillator for Power-Free Radiation Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional ring oscillators and current-starved ring oscillators face limitations in reducing power consumption and integrating floating gate transistors, which are incompatible with conventional CMOS manufacturing processes, limiting their application in power-free radiation detection and silicon aging measurement.
Innovation Solution
Integration of floating gate transistors with CMOS-based current limiting transistors in a current-starved ring oscillator, allowing for power-free operation and radiation detection, and silicon odometer functionality by leveraging charge leakage and ionizing radiation effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If floating gate transistors are integrated into current-starved ring oscillators for power-free operation, then radiation detection capability is improved, but compatibility with conventional CMOS manufacturing processes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses standard CMOS PFET transistors as intermediaries to create the floating gate structure. Instead of directly integrating specialized floating gate transistors that require separate manufacturing steps, the invention constructs electrically isolated floating gates using three standard CMOS PFET transistors, thereby achieving radiation detection functionality while remaining compatible with conventional CMOS manufacturing processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes standard CMOS PFET transistors serve multiple functions: they act as both the building blocks for creating floating gate structures and as the current-limiting transistors in the ring oscillator. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for specialized floating gate transistors and enables compatibility with standard CMOS manufacturing while achieving power-free radiation detection capability
2Use of energy by moving object
If current is reduced in current-starved ring oscillators to lower power consumption, then power consumption is improved, but switching speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs floating gate transistors that utilize their own stored charge to regulate current flow through the ring oscillator stages. The floating gates maintain electric fields that control the switching behavior without requiring external power supply during operation, enabling the circuit to self-regulate its current consumption while maintaining switching functionality. This self-service mechanism allows power-free operation while preserving adequate switching speed for radiation detection applications
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables power-free radiation detection and silicon odometer applications with on-chip frequency measurement, providing a simple readout and accurate tracking of radiation exposure and aging through frequency changes, suitable for various environments and supply chain tracking.
Implementation Method 1
Floating gate (FG) transistors have been used as charge storage elements in memory technologies such as Flash memory
Implementation Method 2
a space radiation detector to act as a dosimeter to determine how much total ionizing dose (TID) the electronics on a spacecraft have received
Implementation Method 3
A traditional ring oscillator operates by places an odd number of inverting circuits with the current stages output tied to the next stages input
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses and methods using current-starved ring oscillator biased by floating gate transistors with a variety of applications including as a power-free radiation detector or silicon age determination or odometer system.