Wireless, RF & Smart Dust

Research that includes:

  • Tuneable RF components: capacitors, inductors, transformers
  • RF microrelays
  • High frequency MEMS resonators: devices, structures, and processes

Resoswitch Squegging Control by Compact Model-Assisted Impact Electrode Design

Kevin H. Zheng
Qiutong Jin
Clark T.-C. Nguyen
2024

This paper demonstrates, via a novel compact model and experiments, that squegging in micromechanical resonant electrical switches (resoswitches) [1] is controllable via impact electrode design. The model captures the nonlinear dynamics of impact contact and predicts squegging. Unlike other numeric and finite-element (FEM)-based models, this physical parameter-based model has no convergence difficulties when simulating impact, accurately captures squegging, and runs within any circuit simulator with up to 100× simulation time improvement compared to commercial software....

BPN926: A Wireless, Implantable, Multicolor Fluorescence Image Sensor for Monitoring Response to Cancer Therapy

Rozhan Rabbani
Micah Roschelle
Mekhail Anwar
2023

We present a mm-sized, ultrasonically powered, lensless CMOS image sensor for wireless fluorescence microscopy. Access to real-time cellular-level information within the tissue can provide new insights for diagnosis and personalized treatment guidance across numerous medical conditions including cancer therapy. In cancer immunotherapy, for instance, where a priori identification of responders is challenging, real-time intratumoral information can aid early assessment of treatment response, identifying activation of the immune system leading to durable responses or rapid...

BPNX1008: Dual-Path Noise Elimination (DuNE): A Noise-Cancellation Technique for Aptamer-Based Electrochemical Sensors

Wei Foo
2025

We have previously demonstrated electrochemical circuits for measuring the concentration of various biomolecules and drugs using structure-switching aptamers. Structure-switching aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acids that can be sequenced to exhibit conformational changes when bound to specific biomolecules. By conjugating aptamers with a redox reporter, voltammetry or amperometry-based measurements can be applied and signals in the nano to pico-amp scale can be captured using transimpedance amplifiers (TIA). Because the signals of interest are very small, noise-cancellation...

BPNX1047: Single-Chip CMOS+X Piezoelectric Test Vehicle for Wireless IoT (New Project)

Daniel Lovell
Borivoje Nikolić
Jessica Boles
2025

"This project aims to develop a 130 nm mixed-signal CMOS system-on-chip (SoC) Test Vehicle that can subsequently be combined with thin-film piezoelectric materials to create an integrated, single-chip wireless IoT platform. The SoC, which includes a RISC-V microprocessor, a Bluetooth Low-Energy radio, and sensor interface electronics, is designed for minimal power consumption and wide operating voltage range. In addition to these core functions, the CMOS Test Vehicle will feature specialized interface circuits - including a sustaining amplifier for piezoelectric timing oscillators, a...

BPN987: Single-chip µV Precision ADC for SCµM-V

Yu-Chi Lin
Daniel Lovell
Ali M. Niknejad
Kristofer S.J. Pister
2025

We are developing a millimeter-square low-power wireless ADC capable of detecting and transmitting microvolt-level signals. This ADC offers potential for high-precision measurements in various domains, including biomedical, automotive, and IoT. The immediate objective of this project is to design a concurrent TMS-EEG-MRI system – a temporal and spatial imaging method that may unveil the intricacies of brain circuits. The high-precision ADC enables acquisition of EEG signals down to 10µV, while the wireless communication remains robust to heating and disturbance issues induced by MRI...

BPN953: Long-Term Drift of MEMS-Based Oscillators

Xintian Liu
Kevin H. Zheng
Qiutong Jin
2025

This project seeks to characterize and de-mystify mechanisms behind long-term drift in MEMS-based oscillators, including ones employing various sustaining amplifiers and referenced to resonators constructed in a variety of materials, including silicon, polysilicon, AlN, diamond, and ruthenium. A measurement apparatus that suppresses unwanted sources of drift, e.g., temperature, to better focus on resonator and oscillator long-term drift will be instrumental to success and will likely entail the use of double or triple ovens, as well as environment resistant circuit design.

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BPN828: Zero Quiescent Power Microelectromechanical Receiver

Qiutong Jin
Kevin H. Zheng
William Dong
2025

This project aims to explore and demonstrate a mostly mechanical receiver capable of listening signals within low-frequency and very-low-frequency range. The receiver is designed to consume zero power at standby and consume very little power (nW) only when receiving valid bits.

Project currently funded by: Member Fees

BPN976: Fully-Integrated MEMS-Based Wireless Receiver

Kevin H. Zheng
Qiutong Jin
Xintian Liu
2025

Recent MEMS process advancements from our group have enabled a class of low-temperature, thin-film ruthenium RF filters that can be processed directly on top of CMOS wafers. This work seeks to demonstrate the first low-IF receiver with fully-integrated MEMS-based RF channel-select filters, which permits low power applications in high-sensitivity, narrow-band software-defined communications and cognitive radio.

Project currently funded by: Member Fees

BPN803: Single Chip Mote

Daniel Lovell
Titan Yuan
Yu-Chi Lin
Kelly Tou
2025

The Single-Chip Micro Mote (SCµM) is an integrated wireless sensor node that pushes the boundaries of system-on-chip integration. A single mote is intended to be fully self-contained and functional when supplied only with a power source, and the on-chip crystal-free radio is designed to comply with BLE and IEEE 802.15.4 wireless personal area network standards. In previous work, SCµM-3C was demonstrated to join an 802.15.4 mesh network running OpenWSN, transmit BLE beacon packets to a cell phone, and perform RF temperature compensation via both initial calibration and...

BPNX1004: Low Noise Electrochemical Aptamer-Based Sensing Device

Ya-Chen (Justine) Tsai
2025

The Electrochemical Aptamer-based (E-AB) sensors provide continuous and real-time monitoring of specific target molecules, including proteins, antibiotics, neurotransmitters, and more. Due to the cost-effectiveness compared to enzyme sensing assays, E-AB platforms hold significant promise for point-of-care devices and precision medicine. However, sensitivity remains a challenge, particularly in the complicated environment, such as blood and serum. While research has achieved a noise level in the picoampere range, enhancing sensitivity is crucial for detecting trace amounts of certain...