A dual-mode low-noise nanosensor front-end with 155-dB dynamic range

A novel integrated current measurement system with ultra wide dynamic range is presented and fabricated in a 180-nm CMOS technology. Its dual-mode design provides concurrent voltage and frequency outputs, without requiring an external clock source. An integrator-differentiator core provides a voltage output with a noise floor of 11.6 f Arms /√Hz and a measurement bandwidth of 1.4 MHz. This is merged with an asynchronous current-to-frequency converter (CFC), which generates an output frequency linearly proportional to the input current. Together, the voltage and frequency outputs yield a current measurement range of 155-dB, spanning from 204 fA to 11.6 μA. The proposed architecture´s low noise, wide bandwidth, and wide dynamic range make it ideal for measurements of ion channels, nanopores, tunneling junctions, and other nanosensors.