Ultra-low noise current meter for measuring quickly changing currents from attoampere to nanoampere

Cornelius Wendt; Alexander Bohnhorst; Stefan Zimmermann; Ansgar T. Kirk

doi:10.1515/teme-2022-0049

Article

Ultra-low noise current meter for measuring quickly changing currents from attoampere to nanoampere

Cornelius Wendt

Cornelius Wendt studied Mechatronics at the Leibniz University Hannover and received his Master of Science degree in 2019 with a thesis on the design and characterization of the initial low noise transimpedance amplifier with extremely high dynamic range. Since that time, he has been working at the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Measurement Technology of the Leibniz University Hannover as a research engineer. His research interests include complex mixed signal electronics and software as well as FPGA based SoCs for trace gas measurement and sensor systems. In 2022, he co-founded the ACKISION GmbH concentrating on advanced electronics for measuring technology and hardware development.
, Alexander Bohnhorst

Alexander Bohnhorst received his M. Sc. in nanotechnology in 2014 from the Leibniz University Hannover, working on rapid prototyping of nanoscale structures. Since 2014, he is employed as a research engineer at the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Measurement Technology of the Leibniz University Hannover, working towards his Dr.-Ing. degree in electrical engineering. His current research focuses on novel types of ion mobility spectrometers and the required data processing. In 2022, he co-founded the ACKISION GmbH concentrating on advanced electronics for measuring technology, where he works on advanced digital signal processing techniques.
, Stefan Zimmermann

Stefan Zimmermann received his diploma in electrical engineering in 1996 and his Dr.-Ing. in 2001 from the Technical University Hamburg- Harburg, Germany. In 2001, he joined the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center, University of California, USA, as a Postdoctoral Scientist with support of a Feodor-Lynen Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. In 2004, he joined the Research Unit of Dräger, Germany, where he worked on sensors for medical and safety applications. His latest position was Head of Chemical and Biochemical Sensors. In 2009, he joined the Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, as a Full Professor for Sensors and Measurement Technology and became Head of Department of Sensors and Measurement Technology. Since 2019, he is Director of Institute of Electrical Engineering and Measurement Technology. From 2017 to 2019, he was Vice Dean, and from 2019 to 2021, he was Dean of Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. In 2022, he co-founded the ACKISION GmbH concentrating on advanced electronics for measuring technology.
and Ansgar T. Kirk

Ansgar T. Kirk received his M. Sc. in mechatronics in 2013 and his Dr.-Ing. in electrical engineering in 2020 from the Leibniz University Hannover. During 2012 and 2013, he also investigated low-uncertainty measurements in reverberation chambers as a guest researcher in the Electromagnetics Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, USA. Since 2013, he is employed as a research engineer and project leader at the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Measurement Technology of the Leibniz University Hannover. His current research interests center on all aspects of ion mobility spectrometry and ionization-based sensors, ranging from analytical modelling and simulations over design, construction and characterization of mechanical and electrical components to analysis and processing of the acquired data. Since 2022, he is co-founder and CEO of the ACKISION GmbH for developing advanced electronics for measuring technology.

Published/Copyright: August 27, 2022

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From the journal tm - Technisches Messen Volume 89 Issue 12

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.

Zusammenfassung

Rauscharme Strommessgeräte werden üblicherweise mithilfe von hochohmigen Rückkopplungswiderständen realisiert. Allerdings reduziert ein hochohmiger Widerstand den maximal messbaren Strom bei einer bestimmten Ausgangsspannung und die maximale Bandbreite bei einer bestimmten parasitären Kapazität. Eine Alternative sind kapazitive Transimpedanzverstärker, die den zu messenden Strom auf einem Kondensator integrieren, was einem nahezu unendlichen Widerstand entspricht. In diesem Manuskript wird eine neuartige, aktive Rücksetzschaltung für die Entladung des Integrationskondensators vorgestellt, die die Leckströme und die Ladungsinjektion der notwendigen Schalter eliminiert. Dies ermöglicht die Realisierung eines kapazitiven Strommessgerätes, das den Rauschstrom eines idealen resistiven Transimpedanzverstärkers mit einem idealen 650 GΩ Rückkopplungswiderstand aufweist, während der Dynamikbereich, die Bandbreite und die Nullpunktstabilität aufgrund des kapazitiven Funktionsprinzips um Größenordnungen besser sind. Bei einer 3-dB-Bandbreite von 50 Hz weist das Strommessgerät eine Standardabweichung des Rauschstroms von σ i = 2 , 6 fA sowie einen Dynamikbereich über sechs Größenordnungen von Femto- bis Nanoampere auf. Durch Einstellung der digital anpassbaren 3-dB-Bandbreite zur Messung von Gleichströmen auf 0,45 mHz reduziert sich das Rauschen um drei Größenordnungen auf σ i = 8 , 7 aA , was zu einem Dynamikbereich von neun Größenordnungen führt. Ermöglicht wird dies zudem durch die hervorragende Nullpunktstabilität in einem Band von ± 25 aA ohne jegliche Temperatur- oder Feuchtigkeitskompensation.

Keywords: Capacitive current meter; active reset circuit; attoampere; ultra-low noise; gas chromatography; flame ionization detector

Schlagwörter: Kapazitives Strommessgerät; aktive Rücksetzschaltung; Attoampere; ultra-niedriges Rauschen; Gaschromatographie; Flammenionisationsdetektor

Funding source: European Social Fund

Award Identifier / Grant number: 03EFQNI090

Funding statement: 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 program (Grant Number: 03EFQNI090). The ACKISION GmbH was founded from this EXIST project with the goal of commercializing its results.

About the authors

Cornelius Wendt

Cornelius Wendt studied Mechatronics at the Leibniz University Hannover and received his Master of Science degree in 2019 with a thesis on the design and characterization of the initial low noise transimpedance amplifier with extremely high dynamic range. Since that time, he has been working at the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Measurement Technology of the Leibniz University Hannover as a research engineer. His research interests include complex mixed signal electronics and software as well as FPGA based SoCs for trace gas measurement and sensor systems. In 2022, he co-founded the ACKISION GmbH concentrating on advanced electronics for measuring technology and hardware development.

Alexander Bohnhorst

Alexander Bohnhorst received his M. Sc. in nanotechnology in 2014 from the Leibniz University Hannover, working on rapid prototyping of nanoscale structures. Since 2014, he is employed as a research engineer at the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Measurement Technology of the Leibniz University Hannover, working towards his Dr.-Ing. degree in electrical engineering. His current research focuses on novel types of ion mobility spectrometers and the required data processing. In 2022, he co-founded the ACKISION GmbH concentrating on advanced electronics for measuring technology, where he works on advanced digital signal processing techniques.

Stefan Zimmermann

Stefan Zimmermann received his diploma in electrical engineering in 1996 and his Dr.-Ing. in 2001 from the Technical University Hamburg- Harburg, Germany. In 2001, he joined the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center, University of California, USA, as a Postdoctoral Scientist with support of a Feodor-Lynen Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. In 2004, he joined the Research Unit of Dräger, Germany, where he worked on sensors for medical and safety applications. His latest position was Head of Chemical and Biochemical Sensors. In 2009, he joined the Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, as a Full Professor for Sensors and Measurement Technology and became Head of Department of Sensors and Measurement Technology. Since 2019, he is Director of Institute of Electrical Engineering and Measurement Technology. From 2017 to 2019, he was Vice Dean, and from 2019 to 2021, he was Dean of Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. In 2022, he co-founded the ACKISION GmbH concentrating on advanced electronics for measuring technology.

Ansgar T. Kirk

Ansgar T. Kirk received his M. Sc. in mechatronics in 2013 and his Dr.-Ing. in electrical engineering in 2020 from the Leibniz University Hannover. During 2012 and 2013, he also investigated low-uncertainty measurements in reverberation chambers as a guest researcher in the Electromagnetics Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, USA. Since 2013, he is employed as a research engineer and project leader at the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Measurement Technology of the Leibniz University Hannover. His current research interests center on all aspects of ion mobility spectrometry and ionization-based sensors, ranging from analytical modelling and simulations over design, construction and characterization of mechanical and electrical components to analysis and processing of the acquired data. Since 2022, he is co-founder and CEO of the ACKISION GmbH for developing advanced electronics for measuring technology.

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Received: 2022-04-08

Accepted: 2022-08-15

Published Online: 2022-08-27

Published in Print: 2022-12-25

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/teme-2022-0049

Keywords for this article

Capacitive current meter; active reset circuit; attoampere; ultra-low noise; gas chromatography; flame ionization detector