A 12-bit 50-MS/s 3.3-mW SAR ADC with background digital calibration

This paper describes a background digital calibration technique based on bitwise correlation (BWC) to correct the capacitive digital-to-analog converter (DAC) mismatch error in successive-approximation-register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADC's). Aided by a single-bit pseudorandom noise (PN) injected to the ADC input, the calibration engine extracts all bit weights simultaneously to facilitate a digital-domain correction. The analog overhead associated with this technique is negligible and the conversion speed is fully retained (in contrast to [1] in which the ADC throughput is halved). A prototype 12bit 50-MS/s SAR ADC fabricated in 90-nm CMOS measured a 66.5-dB peak SNDR and an 86.0-dB peak SFDR with calibration, while occupying 0.046 mm2 and dissipating 3.3 mW from a 1.2-V supply. The calibration logic is estimated to occupy 0.072 mm2 with a power consumption of 1.4 mW in the same process.