TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it has developed a prototype reference clock oscillator fabricated with standard CMOS technology that achieves the world’s highest class accuracy. Used to replace a conventional crystal oscillator, the new device will support the miniaturization of electronic devices.
Toshiba will present the oscillator technology at the 2014 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 13.
In recent years, demand for the miniaturization of electronic components, the source of complex functionality in electronic products, has extended to oscillators, stimulating interest in ultra-small oscillators.
Although conventional crystal oscillators offer excellent accuracy of oscillation frequency, they require a relatively large package due to the size of the crystal. Smaller CMOS oscillators have been designed, but with a much lower oscillation frequency, due to large temperature dependence.
Toshiba has developed a technology for precise calibration of the temperature dependence of oscillation frequencies in CMOS oscillators. Its application has secured a high precision CMOS oscillator with accuracy of less than +/-100ppm (0.01%), comparable to crystal oscillators. In addition, by taking advantage of the digital computing capability of CMOS, Toshiba has also achieved a wide range of frequency outputs (2-40MHz) in 40Hz steps. Conventional crystal oscillators output at a fixed frequency.
During the initial test, the oscillation frequencies of the CMOS oscillator are measured and calibrated at multiple temperatures, in order to realize high accuracy. The junction temperature can be quickly changed by an on-chip heater, realizing low-cost testing and high-accuracy calibration. As a result, Toshiba has developed a high-accuracy oscillator with thermal design using on-chip heater and stabilizing temperature near the oscillator for the calibration. The digital calibration data, which is calculated and stored during the test, is automatically applied in actual operation.
Toshiba plans to commercialize the new CMOS oscillator within 2 to 3 years, and aims to reduce its volume to one third that of a conventional crystal oscillator. Toshiba will also integrate the oscillator into system LSI, such as MCU and ASIC.
About Toshiba
Toshiba Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, channels world-class capabilities in advanced electronic and electrical product and systems into five strategic business domains: Energy & Infrastructure, Community Solutions, Healthcare Systems & Services, Electronic Devices & Components, and Lifestyles Products & Services. Guided by the principles of The Basic Commitment of the Toshiba Group, “Committed to People, Committed to the Future”, Toshiba promotes global operations towards securing “Growth Through Creativity and Innovation”, and is contributing to the achievement of a world in which people everywhere live in safe, secure and comfortable society.
Founded in Tokyo in 1875, today’s Toshiba is at the heart of a global network of over 590 consolidated companies employing over 200,000 people worldwide, with annual sales surpassing 6.5 trillion yen (US$63 billion).
To find out more about Toshiba, visit www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm