Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Scaleable CMOS Current-Mode Preamplifier Design for an Optical Receiver

  • Published:
Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We have designed a process-insensitive preamplifierfor an optical receiver, fabricated it in several different minimumfeature sizes of standard digital CMOS, and demonstrated designscaleability of this analog integrated circuit design. The sameamplifier was fabricated in a 1.2 µm and two different0.8 µm processes through the MOSIS foundry [1].The amplifier uses a multi-stage, low-gain-per-stage approach.It has a total of 5 identical cascaded stages. Each stage isessentially a current mirror with a current gain of 3. Threeof these preamplifiers have been integrated with a GaAs Metal-Semiconductor-Metal (MSM) photodetector and one with anInGaAs MSM detector by using a thin-film epilayer device separationand bonding technology [2]. This quasi-monolithic front-end of anoptical receiver virtually eliminates the parasitics between thephotodetector and the silicon CMOS preamplifier. We have demonstratedspeed and power dissipation improvement as the minimum feature sizeof the transistors shrink.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. The MOSIS VLSI Fabrication Service, Univ. of Southern California, Tel.#: 310-822-1511

  2. C. Camperi-Ginestat, M. Hargis, N. M. Jokerst, and M. Allen, “Alignable epitaxial liftoff of GaAs material with selective deposition using polyimide diaphragms.” IEEE Trans. Photonics Technology, pp. 1123–1126, Dec. 1991.

  3. T. V. Muoi, “Receiver design for high-speed optical-fiber systems.” J. Lightwave Tech. LT 2, pp. 243–267, June 1984.

  4. R. G. Smith and S. D. Persenick, “Receiver design for optical fiber communication systems,” in (H. Kressel, ed.), Semiconductor Devices for Optical Communication. Spring-Verlag, 1980, Ch. 4.

  5. J. F. Ewen, K. P. Jackson, R. J. S. Bates, and E. B. Flint, “GaAs fiber-optic modules for optical data processing networks.” J. Lightwave Technology LT-9, pp. 1755–1763, Dec. 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  6. J. F. Ewen, D. L. Rogers, A. X. Widmer, F. Gfeller, and C. J. Anderson, “GB/s fiber optic link adapter chip set.” Proc. GaAs IC Sym., pp. 11–14, 1988.

  7. J. D. Crow, C. J. Anderson, S. Bermon, A. Callegari, J. F. Ewen, J. D. Feder, J. H. Greiner, E. P. Harris, P. H. Hoh, H. J. Hovel, J. H. Magerlein, T. E. Mckoy, A. T. S. Pomerence, D. L. Rogers, G. J. Scott, M. Thomas, G. W. Mulvey, B. K. Ko, T. Ohashi, M. Scontras, and D. Widiger, “A GaAs MESFET IC for optical multiprocessor networks.” IEEE Trans. Electron Devices ED-36, pp. 263–268, Feb. 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. H. Hamaguchi, M. Makiuchi, T. Kumai and O. Wada, “GaAs optoelectronics integrated receiver with high-output fast-response characteristic.” IEEE Electron Dev. Let. EDL-8, pp. 39–41, 1987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Y. Archambault, D. Pavlidis, and J. P. Guet, “GaAs monolithic integrated optical preamplifier.” J. Lightwave Technology LT 5, pp. 355–366, Mar. 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  10. N. Scheinberg, R. J. Bayruns, and T. M. Laverick, “Monolithic GaAs transimpedance amplifier for fiber-optic receivers.” IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits SC-26, pp. 1834–1839, Dec. 1991.

  11. R. A. Minasian, “Optimum design of a4-GB/s GaAs MESFET optical preamplifier.” J. Lightwave Tech. LT-5, pp. 373–379, Mar. 1987.

  12. R. Bayruns, “Design of low noise wide dynamic range GaAs optical preamps.” Proc. IEEE Int. Sym. Circuits and Systems, pp. 1861–1864, 1991.

  13. M. Aiki, “Low-noise optical receiver for high-speed optical transmission.” IEEE Trans. Electron Dev. ED-32, pp. 2693–2698, Dec. 1985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. R. Reimann and H.-M. Rein, “Bipolar high-gain limiting amplifier IC for optical-fiber receivers operating up to 4 Gbit/s.” IEEE J Solid-State Circuits SC-22, pp. 504–511, Aug. 1987

    Google Scholar 

  15. A. A. Abidi, “Gigahertz transresistance amplifiers in fine line NMOS.” IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits SC-19, pp. 986–995, Dec. 1984.

  16. D. M. Pietruszynski, J. M. Steininger, and E. J. Swanson, “A 50-Mbit/s CMOS monolithic optical receiver.” IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits SC-23, pp. 1426–1433, Dec. 1988.

  17. P. J.-W. Lim, A. Y. C. Tzeng, H. L. Chuang, and S. A. St. Onge, “A 3.3V monolithic photodetector/CMOS preamplifier for 531 Mbit/s optical data link applications.” ISSCC Dig. Tech. Papers, pp. 96–97, Feb. 1993.

  18. T. H. Hu and P. R. Gray, “A monolithic 480 Mb/s parallel AGC/Decision/Clock-recovery circuit in 1.2 μm CMOS.” IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, pp. 98–99, Dec. 1993.

  19. D.-L. Chen and R. Waldron, “A single-chip 266 Mb/s CMOS transmitter/receiver for serial data communication.” ISSCC Dig. Tech. Papers, pp. 1314–1320, Dec. 1993.

  20. M. Ingels, G. V. der Plas, J. Crols, and M. Steyaert, “A CMOS 18 THzW 240 Mb/s transimpedance amplifier and 155 Mb/s LED-driver for low cost optical fiber links.” IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits SC-29, pp. 1552–1559, Dec. 1994.

  21. J. Sevenhans, W. Delbaere, M. Steyaert, M. Ingels, and J. Vandeweghe, “CMOS LED-driver and PIN-Receiver for Fiber Optical Communication at 150 Mbit/sec.” Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing 4(1), pp. 31–36, July 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. S. Wong and C. Andrew and T. Salama, “Impact of scaling on MOS analog performance.” IEEE Solid-State Circuits SC-18(1), pp. 106–114, Feb. 1983.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. E. A. Vittoz, “The design of high-performance analog circuits on digital CMOS chips.” IEEE Solid-State Circuits SC-20(3), pp. 657–665, June 1985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Bellcore, Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) Transport Systems: Common Generic Criteria, Technical Advisory TANWT-000253, Issue 6, Sep. 1990.

  25. HSPICE User's Manual, Meta-Software, Inc., 1991.

  26. F. O. Eynde and W. Sansen, “Design and optimization of CMOS wideband amplifiers.” Proc. IEEE 89 CICC, pp. 25.7.1–25.7.4, 1989.

  27. B. Davari, R. H. Dennard, and G. G. Shahidi, “CMOS scaling for high performance and low power—The next ten years.” Proc. IEEE 83(4), April 1995.

  28. C. Hu, “Future CMOS scaling and reliability.” Proc. IEEE 81(5), May 1993.

  29. R. H. Zele and D. J. Allstot, “Fully-differential CMOS current-mode circuits.” Proc. of the IEEE 1991 Custom Integrated Circuits Conf., pp. 24.1.1–24.1.4, 1991.

  30. R. H. Zele, D. J. Allstot and T. S. Fiez, “Fully balanced CMOS current-mode circuits.” IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits SC-28, pp. 569–575, May 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  31. R. H. Zele, S.-S. Lee, and D. J. Allstot, “A high gain current-mode operational amplifier.” Proc. IEEE Int. Sym. Circuits Systems, pp. 2852–2855, 1992.

  32. H. B. Bakoglu, Circuits, Interconnections, and Packaging for VLSI. Addison-Wesley: Reading, MA, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  33. O. Vendier, N. M. Jokerst and R. P. Leavitt, “Thin film inverted MSM photodetectors.” IEEE Phot, Tech. Lett. 8, pp. 266–268, Feb. 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Microelectronics Research Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Myunghee Lee, Olivier Vendier, Martin A. Brooke & Nan Marie Jokerst

Authors
  1. Myunghee Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Olivier Vendier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Martin A. Brooke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Nan Marie Jokerst
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lee, M., Vendier, O., Brooke, M.A. et al. Scaleable CMOS Current-Mode Preamplifier Design for an Optical Receiver. Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing 12, 133–144 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008217109255

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008217109255

Keywords

Search

Navigation