Details
| Translated title of the contribution | Extrem rauscharmes Strommessgerät zur Messung schnell veränderlicher Ströme von Attoampere bis Nanoampere |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Pages (from-to) | 847-858 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | tm - Technisches Messen |
| Volume | 89 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| Early online date | 27 Aug 2022 |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Dec 2022 |
Abstract
Low-noise current meters are usually designed using high value feedback resistors. However, a high resistance reduces the maximum measurable current at a given output voltage and the maximum bandwidth at a given parasitic capacitance. Capacitive transimpedance amplifiers integrating the current to be measured correspond to a nearly infinite resistance. Here, we present a novel active reset architecture for discharging the integration capacitor that eliminates the leakage currents and charge injection of the necessary switches. This enables a capacitive current meter achieving the noise current of an ideal resistive transimpedance amplifier with an ideal resistance of 650 GΩ, while the dynamic range, bandwidth and zero-point stability are orders of magnitude greater due to the capacitive operating principle. At a 3-dB bandwidth of 50 Hz, the noise current standard deviation is σ i = 2.6 fA with a dynamic range of six orders of magnitude from femto- to nanoamperes. Digitally adjusting the 3-dB bandwidth to 0.45 mHz for measuring direct currents reduces the noise by three orders of magnitude down to σ i = 8.7 aA, resulting in a dynamic range of nine orders of magnitude. This is possible due to an excellent zero-point stability within ± 25 aA without temperature or humidity compensation.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- Instrumentation
- Engineering(all)
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
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In: tm - Technisches Messen, Vol. 89, No. 12, 25.12.2022, p. 847-858.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Ultra-low noise current meter for measuring quickly changing currents from attoampere to nanoampere
AU - Wendt, Cornelius
AU - Bohnhorst, Alexander
AU - Zimmermann, Stefan
AU - Kirk, Ansgar T.
N1 - Funding Information: The project “Femtoampere (fA) bis Mikroampere (μA) schnell erfassen – FUSE” is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the European Social Fund as part of the EXIST pro-gram (Grant Number: 03EFQNI090). The ACKISION GmbH was founded from this EXIST project with the goal of commercializing its results.
PY - 2022/12/25
Y1 - 2022/12/25
N2 - Low-noise current meters are usually designed using high value feedback resistors. However, a high resistance reduces the maximum measurable current at a given output voltage and the maximum bandwidth at a given parasitic capacitance. Capacitive transimpedance amplifiers integrating the current to be measured correspond to a nearly infinite resistance. Here, we present a novel active reset architecture for discharging the integration capacitor that eliminates the leakage currents and charge injection of the necessary switches. This enables a capacitive current meter achieving the noise current of an ideal resistive transimpedance amplifier with an ideal resistance of 650 GΩ, while the dynamic range, bandwidth and zero-point stability are orders of magnitude greater due to the capacitive operating principle. At a 3-dB bandwidth of 50 Hz, the noise current standard deviation is σ i = 2.6 fA with a dynamic range of six orders of magnitude from femto- to nanoamperes. Digitally adjusting the 3-dB bandwidth to 0.45 mHz for measuring direct currents reduces the noise by three orders of magnitude down to σ i = 8.7 aA, resulting in a dynamic range of nine orders of magnitude. This is possible due to an excellent zero-point stability within ± 25 aA without temperature or humidity compensation.
AB - Low-noise current meters are usually designed using high value feedback resistors. However, a high resistance reduces the maximum measurable current at a given output voltage and the maximum bandwidth at a given parasitic capacitance. Capacitive transimpedance amplifiers integrating the current to be measured correspond to a nearly infinite resistance. Here, we present a novel active reset architecture for discharging the integration capacitor that eliminates the leakage currents and charge injection of the necessary switches. This enables a capacitive current meter achieving the noise current of an ideal resistive transimpedance amplifier with an ideal resistance of 650 GΩ, while the dynamic range, bandwidth and zero-point stability are orders of magnitude greater due to the capacitive operating principle. At a 3-dB bandwidth of 50 Hz, the noise current standard deviation is σ i = 2.6 fA with a dynamic range of six orders of magnitude from femto- to nanoamperes. Digitally adjusting the 3-dB bandwidth to 0.45 mHz for measuring direct currents reduces the noise by three orders of magnitude down to σ i = 8.7 aA, resulting in a dynamic range of nine orders of magnitude. This is possible due to an excellent zero-point stability within ± 25 aA without temperature or humidity compensation.
KW - active reset circuit
KW - attoampere
KW - Capacitive current meter
KW - flame ionization detector
KW - gas chromatography
KW - ultra-low noise
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143629684&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1515/teme-2022-0049
DO - 10.1515/teme-2022-0049
M3 - Article
VL - 89
SP - 847
EP - 858
JO - tm - Technisches Messen
JF - tm - Technisches Messen
SN - 2196-7113
IS - 12
ER -