A 1.54-mm2, 264-GHz Wake-Up Receiver With Integrated Cryptographic Authentication for Ultra-Miniaturized Platforms

This article presents the first sub-terahertz (sub-THz) wake-up receiver (WuRx) for ultra-miniaturized, massively deployable platforms. A detector-first architecture, utilizing a pseudo-differential cold-FET-based CMOS THz detector, is employed to reduce power consumption. The THz front end employs a dual-antenna-feed detector topology, independently driving the gate and drain of a transistor, thus achieving the optimal conditions of the device for low noise-equivalent power (NEP). In addition, the WuRx incorporates a low-power cryptographic authentication engine to enhance security, preventing the denial-of-sleep (DoSL) attacks through token randomization in a lightweight cryptographic algorithm. Implemented in a 65-nm CMOS process, the 264-GHz system, including four on-chip patch antennas, occupies an area of 1.54 mm2. It achieves a sensitivity of −48 dBm while consuming 2.9- $\mu \text{W}$ dc power in the continuous mode. Wireless tests with multi-meter range and electrical beam-steering operation of sub-THz transponder are provided to demonstrate the feasibility of THz connectivity for the next-generation Internet of Things (IoT).