Abstract:
This work addresses the emerging need for investigating micro- and nano-devices by performing Impedance Spectroscopy with high-sensitivity yet at high bandwidth. To this ...Show MoreMetadata
Abstract:
This work addresses the emerging need for investigating micro- and nano-devices by performing Impedance Spectroscopy with high-sensitivity yet at high bandwidth. To this goal a new circuital architecture has been implemented that overcomes the limitations of the classic transimpedance topology of noise and maximum operating frequency trade-off as well as of input capacitance stability concerns. Thanks to a two channel modulation/amplification/demodulation structure embedded into a feedback loop, high loop gain at all the working frequencies is obtained. Implemented in 0.35 μm CMOS, the IC works from 1 kHz up to 150 MHz, independently of the input capacitance value up to about 100 pF. The IC shows a resolution as good as 0.4 aF in the 100 kHz-150 MHz range (Vin = 1 V, BW = 50 Hz). The circuit directly provides two DC outputs proportional to the Real and Imaginary component of the DUT admittance so that no external lock-in structure or filter is required. The output bandwidth is adjustable from few tens of Hz up to 50 kHz, thus allowing both fast impedance tracking and high resolution impedance spectroscopy.
Published in: IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits ( Volume: 49, Issue: 12, December 2014)