A True 0.4-V Delta-Sigma Modulator Using a Mixed DDA Integrator Without Clock Boosted Switches

Abstract

This brief proposes a delta-sigma modulator that operates at extremely low voltage without using a clock boosting technique. To maintain the advantages of a discrete-time integrator in oversampled data converters, a mixed differential difference amplifier (DDA) integrator is developed that removes the input sampling switch in a switched-capacitor integrator. Conventionally, many low-voltage delta-sigma modulators have used high-voltage generating circuits to boost the clock voltage levels. A mixed DDA integrator with both a switched-resistor and a switched-capacitor technique is developed to implement a discrete-time integrator without clock boosted switches. The proposed mixed DDA integrator is demonstrated by a third-order delta-sigma modulator with a feedforward topology. The fabricated modulator shows a 68-dB signal-to-noise-plus-distortion ratio for a 20-kHz signal bandwidth with an oversampling ratio of 80. The chip consumes 140 mu W of power at a true 0.4-V power supply, which is the lowest voltage without a clock boosting technique among the state-of-the-art modulators in this signal band.