HYBRID SEMINAR IN 13-2-005 AND ZOOM

Abstract:

Is it possible to accurately measure currents as low as 1 femtoampere using commercial CMOS technology? If so, how?

This talk presents the evolutionary journey of ACCURATE, an ASIC for ultra-low current measurement. Developed using a 130nm technology, ACCURATE offers sub-femtoampere sensitivity across more than 10 decades of current measurement without the need for band switching.

The chip is designed to act as the front-end of ionization chamber-based radiation monitors. It is currently being characterized to transition from an R&D prototype to a qualified reliable product to be used in the next generation of radiation monitors to be installed at CERN. The ultra-low current measurement capability of the chip has also generated lots of interest in other projects within and outside CERN and hence exploratory studies in this direction are also underway. 

From tuning the simulator parameters to considerations in layout and PCB design, to system design and care in characterization environments, different aspects were taken into consideration, resulting in achieving a state-of-the-art resolution of 200 attoampere under controlled environments. The chip exists in both analog-only and mixed-signal variants. Various design choices made, best practices adopted, challenges and pitfalls faced, and solutions found will be discussed in the talk. The radiation monitors designed by the Radiation Protection Group are used for personnel safety at CERN; hence the reliability of the system is of paramount importance. Different tests already conducted and forthcoming tests planned to reinforce confidence in the ASIC will also be presented.

Zoom details are also in the invitation email.

Make sure you have the latest Zoom client app to be able to connect https://cern.zoom.us/ -> Download client