arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J. -P. Gilles.
In this paper, an architecture designed for electrical measurement of the quality factor of MEMS resonators is proposed. An estimation of the measurement performance is made using PSPICE simulations taking into account the component's non-idealities. An error on the measured Q value of only several percent is achievable, at a small integration cost, for sufficiently high quality factor values (Q > 100).
Parametric amplification is an interesting way of artificially increasing a MEMS Quality factor and could be helpful in many kinds of applications. This paper presents a theoretical study of this principle, based on Matlab/Simulink simulations, and proposes design guidelines for parametric structures. A new device designed with this approach is presented together with the corresponding FEM simulation results.
The preamplifier is a critical component of gyrometer's electronics. Indeed the resolution of the sensor is limited by its signal to noise ratio, and the gyrometer's thermal stability is limited by its gain drift. In this paper, five different kinds of preamplifiers are presented and compared. Finally, the design of an integrated preamplifier is shown in order to increase the gain stability while reducing its noise and size.
In Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), to achieve sufficient Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), the electrical performance of the RF coil is critical. We developed a device (microcoil) based on the original concept of monolithic resonator. This paper presents the used fabrication process based on micromoulding. The dielectric substrates are flexible thin films of polymer, which allow the microcoil to be form fitted to none-plane surface. Electrical characterizations of the RF coils are first performed and results are compared to the attempted values. Proton MRI of a saline phantom using a flexible RF coil of 15 mm in diameter is performed. When the coil is conformed to the phantom surface, a SNR gain up to 2 is achieved as compared to identical but planar RF coil. Finally, the flexible coil is used in vivo to perform MRI with high spatial resolution on a mouse using a small animal dedicated scanner operating at in a 2.35 T.