Papers by Stefano Di Pascoli
IEEE access, 2024
In this paper, we discuss the challenges at the device and circuit level that must be addressed t... more In this paper, we discuss the challenges at the device and circuit level that must be addressed to design reliable silicon CMOS integrated circuits operating in high-temperature environments. We present experimental results on representative devices fabricated with a 180 nm CMOS SOI platform, which have been characterized up to 300°C, discuss issues arising at high temperature, and propose possible solutions. A BJT-based temperature sensor core is also described and evaluated across the same extended temperature range. We also propose and discuss design criteria optimized for a wide range of operating temperature. A sufficient on/off current ratio can be achieved by taking advantage of the isolation provided by low-leakage CMOS SOI process, while operation at low current density must be ensured to mitigate electromigration effects. Within these conditions, low-power precise sensing circuits can be effectively implemented with operating temperature up to 300°C, that are extremely relevant for industrial, mobility, and space applications. INDEX TERMS High temperature electronics; harsh environment electronics; CMOS SOI.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 1, 2018
In this paper we present a design approach based on a reassessment of design priorities in order ... more In this paper we present a design approach based on a reassessment of design priorities in order to obtain robust circuits with respect to process variability. We show that if we address variability as one of the main issues in circuit design, and make it inform our very first design choices, we are able to significantly reduce dispersion of circuit characteristics without degrading of the other performance figures. We apply this variability-aware approach to the design of a nanopower reference voltage generator in 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The result is a BJT-based topology, which provides a reference voltage of about 241 mV from a 1 V supply voltage. Measurements on 20 samples from a single batch show that the reference voltage exhibits a relative standard deviation of 0.18%, while consuming only 68.3 nW. This is comparable with the performance of references that are either trimmed or consume much more power. This reduced process sensitivity comes at the cost of a significant increase of die area (0.28 mm 2).
... many applications of GAs to learn-ing systems using the classifier system ap-proach 7 . A GA ... more ... many applications of GAs to learn-ing systems using the classifier system ap-proach 7 . A GA tries to ... 2 are mostly used to generate and tune the parameters of control blocks. ... Hybrid control paradigms can be imple-mented in EL-SIM by connecting, in a suitable manner, blocks ...
2022 IEEE 5th International Conference on Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems (ICPS)
The integration of legacy IoT ecosystems in Industry 4.0 scenarios requires human effort to adapt... more The integration of legacy IoT ecosystems in Industry 4.0 scenarios requires human effort to adapt single devices. This process would highly benefit from features like device lookup, loose coupling and late binding. In this paper, we tackle the issue of integrating legacy monitoring systems and actuation systems in an industrial scenario, by looking into the Web of Things (WoT) as a communication standard and the Eclipse Arrowhead Framework (AHF) as a service orchestrator. More specifically, we propose a general architectural approach to enable closedloop automation between the above mentioned legacy systems by leveraging the adaptation of the WoT to the AHF. Then, we develop a rule-based engine that enables the control of the actuation based on sensor values. Finally, we present a proofof-concept use case where we integrate a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) scenario with a power control actuation subsystem using the developed components.
IEEE Journal on Flexible Electronics
Everyday healthcare objects have become the focus of interdisciplinary research lines, which aim ... more Everyday healthcare objects have become the focus of interdisciplinary research lines, which aim to monitor human biomedical parameters by means of ergonomic and, ideally, environmentally sustainable sensors. Here, a hybrid system, based on both solution-processed-and conventional silicontechnology, is reported. In particular, a strain and a pH sensor are developed based on graphene inks, while a humidity detector is implemented using a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)
Low-voltage nanopower clock generator for RFID applications #$%''&()*)+DDDDDDDDD#,$+-.+... more Low-voltage nanopower clock generator for RFID applications #$%''&()*)+DDDDDDDDD#,$+-.+/)0&+DDDDDDDDDD#
2020 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC EUROPE
We present a case study on the evaluation of the radiated emission from a railway vehicle accordi... more We present a case study on the evaluation of the radiated emission from a railway vehicle according to the EN 50121 standard. Measurements were performed in an open-area test site in two conditions: stationary mode and slow-moving mode, according to the technical document EN 50121-3-1:2018. Magnetic and electric field strengths were measured and compared with limit curves. The considered frequency range is from 150 kHz to 1 GHz. We exploit a time-domain analysis implemented with an EMI receiver, instead of a conventional swept frequency analysis, in order to reduce ambient noise variation, according to CISPR 16-1-1. The usage of a hybrid antenna is proposed to reduce the time needed to cover the 30 MHz to 1 GHz frequency range. We discuss the difficulties resulting from the contribution of external sources, which could be suppressed by performing the measurements in a suitable semi-anechoic chamber, such as the one available at the Laboratories of the Italian Railway Infrastructure Manager (RFI) Osmannoro location. We provide evidence that emission measurements performed in such semi-anechoic chamber yield results in agreement with those obtained in an open-area site.
The reliable analysis of DC operating point in circuits with positive feedback topology is often ... more The reliable analysis of DC operating point in circuits with positive feedback topology is often challenging, and frequently performed with ad hoc methods. These techniques are often error prone and lead to the frequent use of sub-optimal or unnecessary additional circuits for the stabilization or determination of the operating point (startup circuits). We present a simple and reliable technique for the determination of “stable” circuit solutions, that is based on the use of available circuit simulators and hence takes advantage of accurate device models. The method has been experimentally validated on a self-biasing current generator fabricated with a standard 0.18 \(\upmu {\mathrm{m}}\) CMOS process.
Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience, 2008
The combined effect of quantum confinement at the Si/SiO2 interface and the discrete distribution... more The combined effect of quantum confinement at the Si/SiO2 interface and the discrete distribution of dopants in the active area has been considered in ultrashort channel MOSFETs, via a numerical solution of the three-dimensional self-consistent Poisson/Schrödinger equation. Focusing our attention on the so-called "well tempered" bulk-Si n-MOSFETs with channel length of 25 and 50 nm proposed by D. Antoniadis, we have simulated a large number of devices with the same doping profile, but with different actual discrete distribution of impurities, and have extracted the threshold voltage distribution. We have found that the threshold voltage standard deviation is of the order of tens of millivolt, and that it is affected by quantum confinement in the channel.
SAE Technical Paper Series, 2001
This paper deals with the experimental characterization of the thermal properties of a power hybr... more This paper deals with the experimental characterization of the thermal properties of a power hybrid electronic circuit used for motorbike electrical power regulation. The main power devices were MOS transistors mounted in naked chip configuration. These devices suffered for ...
Microelectronics Reliability, 2002
Microelectronics Journal, 2008
The design of an on-chip RC-based oscillator, implemented in a standard 0:35 mm BiCMOS process, w... more The design of an on-chip RC-based oscillator, implemented in a standard 0:35 mm BiCMOS process, without any external component, is presented. The proposed oscillator provides a clock signal at a frequency of 50 kHz with a temperature coefficient smaller than 0:3%= C over a temperature range from 0 to 80 C, without any external trimming. The proposed oscillator operates with a supply voltage of 0.8 V and has a power consumption of 0:62 mW at room temperature. The chip area is 0:24 mm 2 .
Semiconductor Science and Technology, 2000
We have developed a Monte Carlo simulator of the electromigration process in polycrystalline meta... more We have developed a Monte Carlo simulator of the electromigration process in polycrystalline metal stripes. Stripes with different average grain size can be generated with Voronoi tesselation, and mapped onto a network of resistors. The proposed model includes the major role played by grain boundaries and by the current density redistribution within the stripe following void formation. Simulations of stripes with different grain sizes and different widths are shown, and a few expressions for the failure probability are compared on the basis of their capability of reproducing the experimental results. In addition, electromigration noise has been computed, recovering the characteristic 1/f γ (γ ≈ 2) behaviour. The substantial qualitative agreement between our calculations and the experimental results is a convincing test of the capability of the model proposed to include the relevant physics.
The cellular power transistors are affected by the socalled hot spot phenomenon, a current crowdi... more The cellular power transistors are affected by the socalled hot spot phenomenon, a current crowding within few cells occurring for high power conditions, which decreases the device operating range. The onset of this phenomenon was studied under a wide range of electrical and thermal boundary conditions by means of a fast electro-thermal simulation procedure operating in the steady-state regime and using explicit analytical relationships for the temperature mapping. Furthermore, the results of experimental electrical characterizations performed on some samples were in agreement with the foreseen data.
a b s t r a c t Many macroscopic aspects of electromigration damage in thin metal films have been... more a b s t r a c t Many macroscopic aspects of electromigration damage in thin metal films have been investigated by means of Monte Carlo simulations based on simplified physical model. The employed model, can be described as a middle-scale model, in which the physical system is modeled with a high level of abstrac-tion, without a detailed atomic physical model of the system. Among the many effects of the electromigration phenomenon, the simulator has been used to investi-gate several statistical properties of electromigration failure and the noise behaviour. Notwithstanding this simplicity, it is able to generate results in good agreement with many experimen-tal observations: the lognormal distribution of failures, dependence of the mean time to failure from stress current and film geometry, Black exponent, noise statistics. Furthermore, this simulations confirmed a significant correlation between electromigration noise in the initial phase of stress and time to failure which has been...
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Papers by Stefano Di Pascoli