Efficient ICBased Solutions for Medical Devices and Automotive Radars

TL;DR

This thesis develops integrated circuit solutions for medical devices and automotive radars, including a miniaturized multi-chip module for inner ear stimulation and advanced millimeter wave VCOs for radar applications.

Contribution

It introduces innovative IC designs for medical and automotive applications, focusing on efficiency and high-performance millimeter wave oscillators.

Findings

Optimized a charge-balanced current stimulus IC for inner ear applications.

Designed a high-performance millimeter wave VCO with state-of-the-art features.

Enhanced efficiency of supply chips with a comprehensive DC-DC converter study.

Abstract

This thesis focuses on developing integrated circuit (IC) solutions for medical devices and automotive radars, and is divided into two main parts. Part One presents the design and evaluation of a miniaturized multi chip module (MCM) solution intended to deliver welldefined, charge balanced current stimuli directly to the inner ear. This section emphasizes the design of the supply chip, which includes a DC DC converter. It involves a comprehensive study aimed at optimizing and enhancing the efficiency of the design. Part Two investigates the fundamental principles of designing millimeter wave (mmWave) voltagecontrolled oscillators (VCOs). This section introduces a VCO with stateoftheart performance, showcasing advancements in mmWave technology. Overall, this thesis contributes to both the medical device field and automotive radar technology through innovative IC solutions.