Silicon on insulator (SOI) is a very attractive technology for large
volume integrated circuit production and is particularly good for
low-voltage, low-power and high-speed digital systems. SOI has also
proved to be effective in various niche and growing markets. IC
processes based on SOI are known to reduce susceptibility to radiation,
and have been used for many years in high radiation environments. SOI is
also used for power integrated circuits, micro-electromechanical systems
(MEMS), integrated optics and high temperature applications.
SOI offers numerous opportunities and challenges in the design of
low-voltage and low-power CMOS circuits for both analog and digital
applications. The benefits of this technology for digital applications
have been clear for many years. The exploitation of SOI for analog and
memory subsystems, meanwhile, has lagged behind digital developments,
but is now beginning to attain a level of parity, with circuits that are
in some cases improved over their bulk counterparts. SOI is suitable for
digital, memory and analog designs, although it is not necessarily
straightforward to convert circuits developed for bulk processes into
SOI.
Memory and most analog circuits either interface to, or are incorporated
within, a digital environment. The design of analog circuits on SOI, in
a mixed signal environment, and memory design in an embedded memory
application are discussed. Various processes are examined and comparison
is made between bulk and SOI circuit design concepts. SOI is the process
of choice in various RF applications, particularly when digital
circuitry is required.
SOI Design: Analog Memory and Digital Techniques examines some of the
basics, but is primarily concerned with circuit related issues. Static
and dynamic logic circuit design has previously been studied in some
detail, however, memory design for SOI and analog circuit designs have
hitherto been examined only in a piecemeal manner.
SOI material is considered here in terms of implementation that are
promising or have been used elsewhere in circuit development, with
historical perspective where appropriate.
SOI Design: Analog, Memory and Digital Techniques will be of interest
to circuit design engineers. It is also intended as a general graduate
level text to introduce state of the art design principles for SOI
circuit design.
