Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Symmetric Current-Conveyor Transimpedance Amplifier

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Photonics and Optoelectronics

Background:

• LiDAR systems require high-performance transimpedance amplifiers for accurate photo-current detection.
• Existing amplifiers often face limitations in gain, bandwidth, noise, or power efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel symmetric current-conveyor transimpedance amplifier (SCC-TIA) for LiDAR applications.
• To improve signal integrity and performance metrics compared to conventional designs.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a novel SCC-TIA using a 0.13-μm CMOS technology.
• Utilizing a modified cascode configuration for the input current buffer to minimize signal loss.
• Integration of a voltage-mode inverter TIA stage.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high transimpedance gain of 69-dBΩ.
• Demonstrated a wide bandwidth of 410-MHz.
• Exhibited a low average noise current spectral density of 13-pA/sqrt (Hz).
• Reported low power dissipation of 20-mW from a 1.2-V supply.
• The compact chip core area is 280×130 μm².

Conclusions:

• The proposed SCC-TIA offers a robust solution for LiDAR systems, balancing high performance with low power consumption.
• The novel input buffer design effectively preserves photo-current signals.
• This amplifier is suitable for demanding optical sensing applications requiring high speed and sensitivity.