Design of an analogue ASIC for integration of resonant gate transistors with MEMS gyroscopes

Micro machined gyroscopes have been more common in a wide range of applications the last few years due to their small size and low cost. The output signal from such a gyroscope is usually an amplitude modulated capacitance signal that is extremely sensitive to noise. The performance of the readout circuitry is critical since it directly affects the performance of the gyroscope. In recent research the possibility to use resonant gate transistors has been investigated as a possible readout method, showing promising results. In these MOS-transistors the gate dielectric is replaced with an air gap, and the micro machined gyroscope acts as the gate. Thus, the conversion from a mechanical signal to an electrical can be done without using the capacitance.

The purpose of this work is to design an analogue ASIC with differential resonant gate transistor amplifiers. The ASIC will be manufactured and the chips mounted with butterfly gyroscopes for evaluation. The work mainly includes electrical design and layout of differential CMOS amplifiers in Cadence environment. It will take place at the Department of Microelectronics in the new MC2-building at Chalmers University of Technology.