Ultrafast large-scale chemical sensing with CMOS ISFETs: a level-crossing time-domain approach
File(s)Ultrafast-large-scale-chemical sensing.pdf (5.24 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Liu, Yan
Constandinou, Timothy G
Georgiou, Pantelis
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The introduction of large-scale chemical sensing systems in CMOS which integrate millions of ISFET sensors have allowed applications such as DNA sequencing and fine-pixel chemical imaging systems to be realised. Using CMOS ISFETs provides advantages of digitisation directly at the sensor as well as correcting for non-linearity in its response. However, for this to be beneficial and scale, the readout circuits need to have the minimum possible footprint and power consumption. Within this context, this paper analyses an ISFET based pH-to-time readout using an inverter in the time-domain as a level-crossing detector and presents a 32×32 array with in-pixel digitisation for pH sensing. The inverter-based sensing pixel, controlled by a triangular waveform, converts the pH response into a time-domain signal whilst also compensating for sensor offset and thus resulting in an increase in dynamic range. The sensor pixels interface to a 15-bit asynchronous column-wise time-to-digital converter (TDC), enabling fast asynchronous conversion whilst using minimal silicon area. Parallel outputs of 32 TDC interfaces are serialised to achieve fast data throughput. This system is implemented in a standard 0.18um CMOS technology, with a pixel size of 26μm×26μm and a TDC area of 26μm×180μm. Measured results demonstrate the system is able to sense reliably with an average pH sensitivity of 30mVpH, whilst being able to compensate for sensor offset by up to ±7V. A resolution of 0.013pH is achieved and noise measurements show an integrated noise of 0.08pH within 2-500Hz and SFDR of 42.6dB. Total power consumption is 11.286mW.
Date Issued
2019-12
Date Acceptance
2019-10-01
Citation
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems, 2019, 13 (6), pp.1201-1213
ISSN
1932-4545
Publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Start Page
1201
End Page
1213
Journal / Book Title
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems
Volume
13
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.
Sponsor
Wellcome Trust
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31613781
Grant Number
BH134389
EP/M020975/1
Subjects
Electrical & Electronic Engineering
0903 Biomedical Engineering
0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2019-10-14