A Whole-Chip ESD-Protected 0.14-pJ/p-mV 3.1–10.6-GHz Impulse-Radio UWB Transmitter in 0.18-$\mu{\hbox {m}}$ CMOS

Abstract

This paper presents the design of a low-power single-full-band (3.1-10.6 GHz) noncarrier impulse-radio ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter (TX) implemented in a commercial 0.18-μm CMOS technology. This UWB TX features fifth-order Gaussian derivative pulse shaping, integrated binary phase-shift keying modulation and 2.5-kV whole-chip electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. Measurement shows full function with a very small die size of 0.25 mm2, extremely low power consumption of 0.14 pJ/p-mV, and an ultrashort pulsewidth of 394 ps. This ESD-protected UWB TX has the potential to support wireless streaming for gigabit/second applications.