A CMOS PHASE-SHIFT OSCILLATOR BASED ON THE CONDUCTION OF HEAT

摘要

A CMOS phase-shift oscillator that uses a phase shift in the conduction of heat is proposed. The oscillator consists of an inverting amplifier and a feedback thermal filter that are integrated on a silicon chip. The thermal filter consists of a polysilicon heater and a MOSFET thermosensor separated from each other by a S_iO_2 heat-conducting layer. An input signal for the filter travels from the heater to the thermosensor through the S_iO_2layer in the form of heat. The filter accepts the output of the inverting amplifier, produces a phase shift due to the heat conduction, and returns a 180°-shifted feedback signal to the amplifier. The oscillator produces oscillation at a specific frequency determined by the dimensions of the filter and the thermal conductivity and specific heat of Si and S_iO_2.