The Challenges of Designing an Inductively Coupled Power Link for μm-sized On-Chip Coils

Abstract

This paper highlights the challenges which exist in realizing miniaturized inductively powered devices that integrate μm-sized coils. As the amount of energy harvested is directly proportional to the effective area of the receiver coil, ultra-small coils receive very limited power and thus need to be carefully optimized for a particular application. Apart from the geometric design of the coil, there are also many other factors that impact the maximum amount of energy that can be harvested on a μm-sized coil. These unique challenges are discussed and addressed in this work using a fully integrated wireless power receiver fabricated in GF 130 nm CMOS 8RF technology. The entire system measures 300 × 300 μm2and is wirelessly powered at 1.18 GHz.