A 500-MSample/s, 6-bit Nyquist-rate ADC for disk-drive read-channel applications

The analog-to-digital conversion required in most disk-drive read-channel applications is designed for good dynamic and noise performance over a wide-input frequency range. This paper presents a 500-MSample/s, 6-bit analog to-digital converter (ADC) and its embedded implementation inside a disk-drive read channel, using a 0.35-μm CMOS double-poly (only one poly layer was used in the ADC), triple-metal process. The converter achieves better than 5 effective number of bits (ENOB) for input frequencies up to Nyquist frequency (f_in=f _s/2) and sampling frequencies f_s up to 400 MHz. It also achieves better that 5.6 ENOB for input frequencies up to f_s /4 over process, temperature, and power-supply variations. At maximum speed (f_s=500 MHz), the converter still achieves better than 5 ENOB for input frequencies up to f_in=200 MHz. Low-frequency performance is characterized by DNL<0.32 LSB and INL<0.2 LSB. The converter consumes 225 mW from a 3.3-V supply when running at 300 MHz and occupies 0.8 mm² of chip area