An Energy-Efficient and High-Speed Mobile Memory I/O Interface Using Simultaneous Bi-Directional Dual (Base+RF)-Band Signaling

Abstract

A fully-integrated 8.4 Gb/s 2.5 pJ/b mobile memory I/O transceiver using simultaneous bidirectionaldual band signaling is presented. Incorporating both RF-band and baseband transceiver designs, this prototype demonstrates an energy-efficient and high-bandwidth solution for future mobile memory I/O interface. The proposed amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulator/demodulator with on-chip band-selective transformer obviates a power hungry pre-emphasis and equalization circuitry, revealing a low-power, compact and standard mobile memory-compatible solution. Designed and fabricated in 65-nm CMOS technology, each RF-band and baseband transceiver consumes 10.5 mW and 11 mW and occupies 0.08 mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> and 0.06 mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> die area, respectively. The dual-band transceiver achieves error-free operation (BER <; 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-15</sup> ) with 2 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">23</sup> - 1 PRBS at 8.4 Gb/s over a distance of 10 cm.