Micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) based oscillators are revolutionizing the timing industry as a cost effective solution, enhanced with more features, superior performance and better reliability. The design of a sustaining amplifier was triggered primarily to replenish MEMS resonator’s high motion losses due to the possibility of their ‘system-on-chip’ integrated circuit solution. The design of a sustaining amplifier observing high gain and adequate phase shift for an electrostatic clamp-clamp (C-C) beam MEMS resonator, involves the use of an 180nm CMOS process with an unloaded Q of 1000 in realizing a fixed frequency oscillator. A net 122dBΩ transimpedance gain with adequate phase shift has ensured 17.22MHz resonant frequency oscillation with a layout area consumption of 0.121 mm2 in the integrated chip solution, the sustaining amplifier draws 6.3mW with a respective phase noise of -84dBc/Hz at 1kHz offset is achieved within a noise floor of -103dBC/Hz. In this work, a comparison is drawn among similar design studies on the basis of a defined figure of merit (FOM). A low phase noise of 1kHz, high figure of merit and the smaller size of the chip has accredited to the design’s applicability towards in the implementation of a clock generative integrated circuit. In addition to that, this complete silicon based MEMS oscillator in a monolithic solution has offered a cost effective solution for industrial or biomedical electronic applications.
A novel sustaining amplifier is designed and characterized for a Si-based MEMS resonator, in implementing a reference oscillator in 180 nm CMOS process. A two port electrical model of the MEMS resonator is used to compute the insertion loss (−76 dB) and phase shift (95°). Total open loop transimpedance gain is achieved as 122 dBΩ with −70°phase shift, at the resonant frequency of 17.22 MHz. This amount of gain is investigated as capable to sustain MEMS resonator's oscillation, in the realization of a cost effective, miniaturized and low power CMOS reference oscillator which oversees on application in clock generation.
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