Calibrating and Validating the MFI-UF Method to Measure Particulate Fouling in Reverse Osmosis

This study aimed to calibrate and validate the MFI-UF method in order to ensure the accuracy of particulate fouling measurements in RO. Firstly, the MFI-UF calibration was examined using two solutions of standard particles (dextran and polystyrene). Two main criteria were investigated: (i) MFI-UF linearity with particle concentrations at both...

Mixed-signal instrumentation for large-signal device characterization and modelling

This thesis concentrates on the development of advanced large-signal measurement and characterization tools to support technology development, model extraction and validation, and power amplifier (PA) designs that address the newly introduced third and fourth generation (3G and 4G) wideband communication standards. By exploiting an innovative...

A 20-bit ±40-mV Range Read-Out IC With 50-nV Offset and 0.04% Gain Error for Bridge Transducers

This paper presents a 20-b read-out IC with ±40-mV full-scale range that is intended for use with bridge transducers. It consists of a current-feedback instrumentation amplifier (CFIA) followed by a switched-capacitor incremental ΔΣ ADC. The CFIA's offset and 1/ <i>f</i> noise are mitigated by chopping, while its gain accuracy and gain drift are...

Device Realization, Characterization and Modeling for Linear RF Applications

This thesis work addresses semiconductor device technology, characterization and modeling solutions that support the development of future generations of mobile phones, which are able to handle various wireless services in flexible manner. Today’s plurality of high data-rate communication signals requires high linearity and efficiency of the...

Ultra Linear Low-loss Varactors & Circuits for Adaptive RF Systems

With the evolution of wireless communication, varactors can play an important role in enabling adaptive transceivers as well as phase-diversity systems. This thesis presents various varactor diode-based circuit topologies that facilitate RF adaptivity. The proposed varactor configurations can act as variable capacitors with high tuning range,...

Smoothie: A model for linearity optimization of FET devices in RF applications

Counting sequences, Gray codes and lexicodes

A counting sequence of length n is a list of all 2^n binary n-tuples (binary codewords of length n). The number of bit positions where two codewords differ is called the Hamming distance of these two codewords. The average Hamming distance of a counting sequence of length n is defined as the average Hamming distance between the 2^n pairs of...

Enhanced Techniques for the Design and Characterization of RF Power Amplifiers

RF Amplifier Design Techniques for Linearity and Dynamic Range

This thesis presents circuit- and device-level linearization techniques to reduce the intermodulation distortion as well as the DC power consumption in RF amplifier circuits. As a key method to accomplish the research goals presented in Chapter 1, a so-called orthogonal design approach is introduced that allows for an uncompromised optimization...