Michael L. Simpson received the Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering from the
University of Tennessee. Before this he was employed by EG&G Nuclear Instruments where
he published the first theoretical analysis of charge trapping correction in germanium
radiation detectors. Simpson designed the first commercial instrument based on this
concept and later received a U. S. patent for this innovation. Also at EG&G, he
published the first analysis of the effective deadtime of de-randomized nuclear ADCs and
developed the first commercial instrument based on this concept.
After receiving his Ph. D., Simpson joined the Monolithic Systems Research Group at the
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). At ORNL he has been a member of the international
collaboration that developed the WA-98 electromagnetic calorimeter which is now in
operation at the CERN laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland, and the PHENIX collaboration that
is developing a $44M detector system for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) that
is under construction at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. In these collaborations
Simpson designed the first multi-channel analog timing integrated circuits with
sub-nanosecond resolution. He is an acknowledged leader in the research and development of
fast analog timing circuits and was the organizer and lead instructor for a short course
on this topic at the IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium (NSS). He is presently an instructor
in the IEEE NSS short course "Designing Analog Integrated Circuits" which has
introduced hundreds of engineers and physicists to monolithic circuit and sensor
technology.
Simpson’s recent research interests have been in the emerging field of monolithic
sensors. He was the principle investigator for a two-year research project to create an
optical application specific integrated circuit (OASIC) capability at ORNL. This work has
resulted in the first photo-spectrometer realized in a standard integrated circuit
process. Simpson and his team received a Lockheed-Martin Energy Research award for
Technical Innovation for this development, and a patent application based on this device
has been submitted. Simpson has co-developed a novel sensor concept utilizing an optical
application specific integrated circuit and genetically engineered bioluminescent
bacteria. A patent based on this technology, which has generated a great deal of
commercial interest, is now being written. Also, Simpson is a member of the team that
developed a new direct-write electron beam lithography concept that is one of a very few
methods under consideration for the fabrication of deep sub-micron feature-size integrated
circuits – a critical step in the continuing advancement of computer chip technology.
Simpson is leading the DARPA-funded research effort for the precise electronic control of
these massively parallel electron-beam emitters. A patent application for the lithography
concept has recently been filed.
Simpson is an Adjunct Faculty Member of the University of Tennessee (UT) Electrical
Engineering Department and the ORNL coordinator of the UT/ORNL Joint Program in
Mixed-Signal VLSI and Monolithic Sensors. In this capacity he supervises the graduate
research of several M.S. and Ph.D. students doing thesis research at ORNL and frequently
teaches undergraduate classes at UT. Simpson was the organizer and General Chairman of the
First Southeastern Workshop on Mixed-Signal VLSI and Monolithic Sensors. He is a Senior
Member of the IEEE and an active member of the IEEE Nuclear Science and Solid-State
Circuit Societies. He has published more that 40 technical papers, holds three patents,
and has three patents pending. He is a member of the Eta Kappa Nu Electrical Engineering
Honor Society and will be listed in the fourth edition of Who’s Who in Science and
Engineering.
Publications
Journal Publications
[1] Britton, C. L., W. L. Bryan, M. S. Emery, M. N. Ericson, M. S. Musrock, M. L.
Simpson, J. W. Walker, A. L. Wintenberg, G. R. Young, M. D. Allen, L. G. Clonts, E. J.
Kennedy, R. S. Smith, J. Boissevain, B. V. Jacak, J. S. Kapustinsky, J. Simon-Gillo, J. P.
Sullivan, H. Van Hecke, N. Xu. Design and Performance of Beam Test Electronics for the
PHENIX Multiplicity Detector. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-44, No. 3, June, 1997,
pp. 283-288.
[2] Jackson, R. G., T. V. Blalock, M. L. Simpson, A. L. Wintenberg, and G. R. Young,. Integrated
Constant-Fraction Discriminator Shaping Techniques for the PHENIX Calorimeters. IEEE
Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-44, No. 3, June, 1997, pp. 303-307.
[3] Wintenberg, A. L., M. L. Simpson, G. R. Young, R. L. Palmer, and R. G. Jackson. A
CMOS Variable Gain Amplifier for PHENIX Electromagnetic Calorimeter and RICH Energy
Measurements. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci NS-44, No. 3, June, 1997, pp.
326-330.
[4] Smith, R. S., , E. J. Kennedy, M. L. Simpson, C. L. Britton, W. L. Bryan, U
Jagadish, G. R. Young, B. V. Jacak, J. Kapustinsky, A. Oskarsson. A Discriminator with
a Current-Sum Multiplicity Output for the PHENIX Multiplicity Vertex Detector. IEEE
Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-44, No. 3, June, 1997, pp. 389-392.
[5] Emery, M. S., S. S. Frank, C. L. Britton, A. L. Wintenberg, M. L. Simpson, M. N.
Ericson, and G. R. Young. A Multi-Channel ADC for Use in the PHENIX Detector. IEEE
Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-44, No. 3, June, 1997, pp. 374-378.
[6] Simpson, M. L., C. L. Britton, A. L. Wintenberg, G. R. Young. An Integrated CMOS
Time Interval Measurement System with Sub-Nanosecond Resolution for the WA-98 Calorimeter.
IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits., Vol. 32, No. 2, Feb. 1997, pp. 198-205.
[7] Simpson, M. L., G. R. Young, R. G. Jackson, and M. Xu. A CMOS Constant-Fraction
Discriminator Using R-C Distributed Delay Line Shaping. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci..
NS-43, No. 4, June, 1996, pp. 1695-1699.
[8] Simpson, M. L., C. L. Britton, A. L. Wintenberg, and G. R. Young. An Integrated,
CMOS, Constant-Fraction Timing Discriminator for Multichannel Detector Systems. IEEE
Trans. Nucl. Sci.. NS-42, No. 4, August, 1995, pp. 762-765.
[9] Ericson, M. N., M. L. Simpson, C. L. Britton, M. D. Allen, R. A. Kroeger, and S. E.
Inderhees. A Low-Power, CMOS Peak Detect and Hold Circuit for Nuclear Pulse
Spectroscopy. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., NS-42, No. 4, August, 1995, pp. 724-728.
[10] Kroeger, R. A., W. N. Johnson, R. L. Kinzer, J. D. Kurfess, S. Inderhees, M. D.
Allen, G. T. Alley, C. L. Britton, L. C. Clonts, M. N. Ericson, and M. L. Simpson. Charge
Sensitive Preamplifier and Pulse Shaper using CMOS Process for Germanium Spectroscopy.
IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-42, No. 4, August 1995, pp. 921-924.
[11] Britton, C. L., G. T. Alley, M. L. Simpson, A. L. Wintenberg, R. J. Yarema, T.
Zimmerman, J. Boissevain, W. Collier, B. V. Jacak, J. Simon-Gillo, W. Sondheim, J. P.
Sullivan, and N. Lockyer. Design and Characterization of the BVX: An 8-Channel CMOS
Preamplifier-Shaper for Silicon Strips. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-41, Feb.
1994, pp. 352-355.
[12] Binkley, D. M., M. L. Simpson, and J. M. Rochelle. A Monolithic, 2 Micron,
CMOS, Constant Fraction Discriminator for Moderate Timing Resolution Systems. IEEE
Trans. Nucl. Sci., Vol. 38, No. 6, Dec. 1991, pp. 1754-1759.
[13] Twomey, T. R., R. M. Keyser, M. L. Simpson, and S. E. Wagner. High-Count-Rate
Spectroscopy with Ge Detectors: Quantitative Evaluation of the Performance of High-Rate
Systems. Radioactivity & Radiochemistry Vol. 2, Number 3 (1991).
[14] Simpson, M. L., T. H. Becker, R. D. Bingham, and R. C. Trammell. A High
Resolution, High Throughput, Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy System. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.
NS-38, April, 1991, pp. 89-96.
[15] Simpson, M. L., T.W. Raudorf, T. J. Paulus, and R. C. Trammell. High Rate and
High Energy Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy Using Ballistic Deficit and Charge Trapping Correction
Circuits. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-37, April 1990, pp. 444-451.
[16] Simpson, M. L., T.W. Raudorf, T. J. Paulus, and R. C. Trammell. Charge Trapping
Correction in Ge Spectrometers. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-36, February, 1989,
pp. 260-266.
[17] Girit I.C., G.D.Alton, C. R. Bingham, H. K. Carter, M. L. Simpson, J. D. Cole, W.
L. Croft, J. H. Hamilton, P. M. Gore, J. Kormicki, H. Xie, B. D. Kern, K. S. Krane, Y. S.
Xu, P. F. Mantica, B. E. Zimmerman, W. G. Nettles, E. F.Zjangar, M. O. Kortelahti, W. B.
Newbolt. UNISOR Online Nuclear Orientation Facility (UNISOR NOF). Hyperfine
Interactions , 43: (1-4) 151-156 Dec. 1988.
Symposium Publications
[18] Duan, H., S. Jones, K. Ley, J. Beach, and M. Simpson. "Integrated CMOS
Photodiode and Transimpedance Amplifier". Proceedings of the 1997 International
Semiconductor Device Research Symposium, Charlottesville, Virginia, Dec. 1997, pp.
315-317.
[19] Simpson, M. L., J. M. Rochelle, G. T. Alley, T. V. Blalock, C. L. Britton, D. W.
Bouldin, W. L. Bryan, R. C. Gonzalez, M. N. Ericson, M. J. Paulus, E. J. Kennedy, S. F.
Smith, M. J. Roberts, and A. L. Wintenberg. The University of Tennessee/Oak Ridge
National Laboratory Joint Program in Mixed-Signal VLSI and Monolithic Sensors. Proceedings
of the 1997 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education, July
21-23, 1997, Arlington, VA. pp. 34-35.
[20] Simpson, M. L., M. N. Ericson, G. E. Jellison, and W. B. Dress. Application
Specific Spectral Response with CMOS Compatible Photodiodes. Proceedings of the
Southeastern Workshop on Mixed-Signal VLSI and Monolithic Sensors, April
3, 1997.
[21] Britton, C. L., W. L. Bryan, M. S. Emery, M. N. Ericson, M. S. Musrock, M. L.
Simpson, J. W. Walker, A. L. Wintenberg, G. R. Young, M. D. Allen, L. G. Clonts, E. J.
Kennedy, R. S. Smith, J. Boissevain, B. V. Jacak, J. S. Kapustinsky, J. Simon-Gillo, J. P.
Sullivan, H. Van Hecke, N. Xu. Design and Performance of Beam Test Electronics for the
PHENIX Multiplicity Detector. Conference Record of the 1996 IEEE Nuclear Science
Symposium. Vol. 1, pp. 6-10.
[22] Jackson, R. G., T. V. Blalock, M. L. Simpson, A. L. Wintenberg, and G. R. Young,. Integrated
Constant-Fraction Discriminator Shaping Techniques for the PHENIX Calorimeters. Conference
Record of the 1996 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Vol. 1, pp. 51-55
[23] Wintenberg, A. L., M. L. Simpson, G. R. Young, R. L. Palmer, and R. G. Jackson. A
CMOS Variable Gain Amplifier for PHENIX Electromagnetic Calorimeter and RICH Energy
Measurements. Conference Record of the 1996 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium.
Vol. 1, pp. 102-106.
[24] Smith, R. S., , E. J. Kennedy, M. L. Simpson, C. L. Britton, W. L. Bryan, U
Jagadish, G. R. Young, B. V. Jacak, J. Kapustinsky, A. Oskarsson. A Discriminator with
a Current-Sum Multiplicity Output for the PHENIX Multiplicity Vertex Detector. Conference
Record of the 1996 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Vol. 1, pp. 439-442.
[25] Emery, M. S., S. S. Frank, C. L. Britton, A. L. Wintenberg, M. L. Simpson, M. N.
Ericson, and G. R. Young. A Multi-Channel ADC for Use in the PHENIX Detector. Conference
Record of the 1996 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Vol. 1, pp. 417-420.
[26] Walter, J., E. Fairstein, F. W. Garber, C. L. Britton, and M. L. Simpson. A
CMOS Signal Conditioning ASIC for Large Silicon Pixels. Conference Record of the
1996 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Vol. 1, 509-511.
[27] Britton, C. L., W. Bryan , M. S. Emery, M. N. Ericson , M. Musrock, M. Simpson, J.
Walker, A. L. Wintenberg, F. Plasil, G. R. Young, M. Allen, L. Clonts, E. Kennedy, R.
Smith, J. Boissevain, B. Jacak, J. Kapustinsky, J. Simon-Gillo, J. Sullivan, H. van Hecke,
and N. Xu. Low Noise, Low Power Dissipation Analog LSI Electronics for Heavy Ion
Detectors. Conference Record of the 1996 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits
and Systems, Vol. 1, pp. 133-136.
[28] Simpson, M. L., G. T. Alley, T. Awes, C. L. Britton, W. Bryan, M. S. Emery, M. N.
Ericson, F. Plasil, P. Stankus, A. L. Wintenberg, G. R. Young, S. Manko, Yu. Sibiryak, A.
Tsvetkov, and A. Vinogradov. Integrated Readout Electronics for the PbWO4 Calorimeter.
Proceedings of the First Workshop on Electronics for LHC Experiments, Lisbon, Sept.
11-15, 1995, pp. 288-292.
[29] Britton, C. L., A. L. Wintenberg, K. F. Read, M. L. Simpson, G. R. Young, L. G.
Clonts, E. J. Kennedy, R. S. Smith, B. K. Swann, and J. A. Musser. A Radiation-Hard
Analog Memory in The AVLSI-RA Process. Proceedings of the First Workshop on
Electronics for LHC Experiments, Lisbon, Sept. 11-15, 1995, pp. 52-56.
[30] Britton, C. L., M. N. Ericson, F. Plasil, M. L. Simpson, A. L. Wintenberg, G. R.
Young, L. G. Clonts and R. S. Smith. Multiplicity-Vertex Detector Electronics
Development for Heavy-Ion Detectors. Proceedings of the First Workshop on
Electronics for LHC Experiments, Lisbon, Sept. 11-15, 1995, pp. 84-87.
[31] Simpson, M. L., G. R. Young, R. G. Jackson, and M. Xu. A CMOS Constant-Fraction
Discriminator Using R-C Distributed Delay Line Shaping. Conference Record of the
1995 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Vol. 1, pp. 292-296.
[32] Wintenberg, A. L., M. L. Simpson, and C. L. Britton. Integrating Amplifiers for
PHENIX Lead-Glass and Lead Scintillator Calorimeters. Conference Record of the 1995
IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Vol. 1, 557-561.
[33] Frank, S. S., M. N. Ericson, M. L. Simpson, R. A. Todd, and D. P. Hutchinson. A
CMOS Integrated Circuit for Pulse-Shape Discrimination. Conference Record of the
1995 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Vol. 1, 297-301.
[34] Wintenberg, A. L., T. C. Awes, C. L. Britton, M. S. Emery, M. N. Ericson, F.
Plasil, M. L. Simpson, J. W. Walker, G. R. Young and L. G. Clonts. Monolithic Circuits
for the WA-98 Lead-Glass Calorimetry. Conference Record of the 1994 IEEE Nuclear
Science Symposium. Vol. 1, 493-497.
[35] Simpson, M. L., C. L. Britton, A. L. Wintenberg, and G. R. Young. An
Integrated, CMOS, Constant-Fraction Timing Discriminator for Multichannel Detector Systems.
Conference Record of the 1994 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Vol. 1, pp. 320-324.
[36] Ericson, M. N., M. L. Simpson, C. L. Britton, M. D. Allen, R. A. Kroeger, and S.
E. Inderhees. A Low-Power, CMOS Peak Detect and Hold Circuit for Nuclear Pulse
Spectroscopy. Conference Record of the 1994 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium.
Vol. 1, pp. 44-48.
[37] Kroeger, R. A., W. N. Johnson, R. L. Kinzer, J. D. Kurfess, S. Inderhees, M. D.
Allen, G. T. Alley, C. L. Britton, L. C. Clonts, M. N. Ericson, and M. L. Simpson. Charge
Sensitive Preamplifier and Pulse Shaper using CMOS Process for Germanium Spectroscopy.
Conference Record of the 1994 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Vol. 2, pp. 786-789.
[38] Wintenberg, A. L., T. C. Awes, C. L. Britton, L. G. Clonts, M. S. Emery, M. N.
Ericson, F. Plasil, M. L. Simpson, J. W. Walker, and G. R. Young. Monolithic Circuits
for Lead-Glass Calorimetry. Proceedings of the International Conference on
Electronics for Future Colliders, LeCroy Corp., May 1994, pp. 161-177.
[39] Britton, C. L., G. T. Alley, M. L. Simpson, A. L. Wintenberg, R. J. Yarema, T.
Zimmerman, J. Boissevain, W. Collier, B. V. Jacak, J. Simon-Gillo, W. Sondheim, J. P.
Sullivan, and N. Lockyer. Design and Characterization of the BVX: An 8-Channel CMOS
Preamplifier-Shaper for Silicon Strips. Conference Record of the 1992 IEEE Nuclear
Science Symposium. Vol. 1, pp. 459-461.
[40] Rochelle, J. M., and M. L. Simpson. Current-Mode Time-to-Amplitude Converter
for Precision Sub-Nanosecond Measurement. Conference Record of the 1992 IEEE
Nuclear Science Symposium.
[41] Simpson, M. L., T. H. Becker, R. D. Bingham, and R. C. Trammell. A High
Resolution, High Throughput, Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy System. Conference Record of
the 1990 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Vol. 1, pp. 584-591.
Submissions Under review or In Press
[42] Britton, C. L., M. N. Ericson, S. S. Frank, J. A. Moore, M. L. Simpson, G. R.
Young, R. S. Smith, L. G. Clonts, J. Boissevain, J. S. Kapustinski, J. Simon-Gillo, J. P.
Sullivan, and H. van Hecke. TGV32: A 32-Channel Preamplifier Chip for the Multiplicity
Vertex Detector at PHENIX. Submitted to the IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.
[43] Bryan, W. L., U Jagadish, C. L. Britton, S. S. Frank, M. N. Ericson, M. L.
Simpson, G. R. Young, L. G. Clonts, R. G. Jackson, R. S. Smith, A. Oskarsson, T. Mark, and
E. O’Brien. TGLD: A 16-Channel Charge Readout Chip for the PHENIX Pad Chamber
Detector Subsystem at RHIC. Submitted to the IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.
[44] Simpson, M. L. and M. N. Ericson. Optical Application Specific Integrated
Circuits: Extending the Power of Silicon Integrated Circuits. Accepted for publication
in the ORNL Review 1998.
[45] Simpson, M. L., M. N. Ericson, G. E. Jellison, W. B. Dress, D. N. Sitter, A. L.
Wintenberg, and D. N. French. A Photo-Spectrometer Realized in a Standard CMOS IC
Process. To be published in Review of Scientific Instruments.
[46] Simpson, M. L., G. E. Jellison, M. N. Ericson, W. B. Dress, and A. L. Wintenberg. Application
Specific Spectral Response with CMOS Compatible Photodiodes. Submitted to IEEE
Journal of Solid-State Circuits.
[47] Simpson, M. L., D. H. Lowndes, G. E. Jellison, M. N. Ericson , J. C. Arnott and M.
A. Guillorn. A Miniature Photo-Spectrometer Realized by a Thin-Film Deposition of
Amorphous-Si on a CMOS Photodiode Array. Submitted to ISA.
[48] Simpson, M. L. and Michael J. Paulus. Discriminator Design Considerations for
Time-Interval Measurement Circuits in Collider Detector Systems. To be published IEEE
Trans. Nucl. Sci., Feb. 1998.
[49] Simpson, M. L., G. Sayler, S. Ripp, M. J. Paulus. Bioluminescent Bioreporter
Integrated Circuits (BBICs). To be presented at SPIE's 5th Annual International
Symposium on Smart Structures and MEMS.
[50] Simpson, Michael L., Gary S. Sayler, Steven Ripp, David E. Nivens, Bruce M.
Applegate, Michael J. Paulus, and Gerald E. Jellison Jr. Bioluminescent Bioreporter
Integrated Circuits: Novel Whole-Cell Biosensors. Submitted (invited) to Trends in
Biotechnology.
[51] Duan, H., W. Chen, S. Jones, and M. Simpson. "Integrated 1.2m m CMOS Photodiodes, TransimpedanceAmplifier and Dual-Slope A/D
Converter for Microinstrument Applications". Submitted to the 1998 Symposium on VLSI
Circuits.
Patents
Issued
Simpson, M. L. Patent Number 4,833,394, Ion Beam Profile Analyzer with Noise
Compensation.
Simpson, M. L. Patent Number 4,878,014, Ion Beam Profile Scanner having Symmetric
Detector Surface to Minimize Capacitance Noise.
Simpson, M. L. and T. W. Raudorf. Patent Number 4,937,452, Charge Trapping Correction
in Photon Detection Systems.
Pending
"Digital Direct Write Electron Beam Lithography," Larry R. Baylor, Clarence
E. Thomas, Edgar Voelkl, James A. Moore, Michael L. Simpson, and Michael J. Paulus.
"Photo-Spectrometers, Method of Use and Manufacture", M. L. Simpson, M. N.
Ericson, G. E. Jellison, A. L. Wintenberg, W. B. Dress, and D. N. Sitter.
"Bioluminescent Bioreporter Integrated Circuit", M. L. Simpson, G. S. Sayler,
and M. J. Paulus.
IEEE and Professional Service and Awards
Nominated for a 1998 Discover Magazine Technology Innovation award.
Instructor for the short course "Designing Integrated Circuits for Mixed
Analog/Digital Signal Processing Systems" Presented at the 1997 IEEE Nuclear Science
Symposium.
Member of the Program Committee for the 1997 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium.
Awarded Lockheed-Martin Energy Research Corporation Medal for Excellence in Technical
Achievement, May 1997.
General Chairman for the First Southeastern Workshop on Mixed-Signal VLSI and
Monolithic Sensors, April 1997.
Assistant Program Chairman for the 1996 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium.
Instructor for the short course "Designing Integrated Circuits for Mixed
Analog/Digital Signal Processing Systems" presented at the 1996 IEEE Nuclear Science
Symposium.
Elevated to the grade of Senior Member of the IEEE, August 1995.
Organizer and lead instructor of the short course "Precision Timing Measurements:
Fundamentals and Instrumentation", presented at the 1995 IEEE Nuclear Science
Symposium.
Member of the Program Committee for the 1994 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium.
Areas of Interest
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