A wireless power receiver with an on-chip antenna for millimeter-size biomedical implants in 180 nm SOI CMOS

In this paper, we present a biphasic RF power harvesting system for biomedical wireless implantable applications that operates in low-GHz frequency range. The design includes an on-chip loop antenna, a six-stage voltage rectifier, a low dropout voltage regulator, a power management unit (PMU), and an array of low-noise differential amplifiers for sensing bio potentials. The system is fabricated in a 180 nm SOI CMOS technology with a total area of 1.6×1.6 mm
²
including a 1.2 nF on-chip storage capacitor. A power management unit with an average current consumption of 10 nA, which is 8x smaller than the state-of-the-art, divides the operation of the system into two different phases. The system is capable of delivering 1.21 mW to an external load that is fed by an on-chip voltage regulator.