Lucien Breems is part-time Professor of Sigma-Delta Analog-to-Digital Conversion with the Mixed Signal Microelectronics research group at the TU/e department of Electrical Engineering. He is working on the improvement of smart convertors based on sigma-delta modulation (SDMs) by applying its new limit-cycle theory, to optimally correct loop filters and feedback DA converters, and enhance stability estimation. New incremental methods have been found, including a new decoding technique for highly accurate DC sensing with SDMs. In parallel his group researches ultra-high-speed SDM AD converters, using novel architectures that significantly relax the design requirements for meta-stability errors, for excess loop delay and for DAC jitter.  

The group derives and implements very high-speed high-resolution AD converter architectures, using a novel parallel sampling technique, exploiting information about the input signal distribution function. Furthermore the focus is on very low power AD converters with world record precision, based on oversampled successive approximation, including various techniques for noise reduction and linearity enhancement. In collaboration with Holst Centre, AD converters for implantable medical applications, and flexible-speed AD converters for multi-standard radio are implemented.

Lucien J. Breems studied Electrical Engineering at Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands) where he received his MSc (cum laude) in 1996 and his PhD in 1996. From 2000 until 2006, he was with Philips Research and in 2007 he joined NXP Semiconductors. He is NXP fellow and technical director in hardware engineering of the business line Car Infotainment and Driver Assistance. Since 2011, he is a parttime professor at the Technical University of Eindhoven.