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Design Example: Capacitance Multiplier Circuit

Design Example: Capacitance Multiplier Circuit

In integrated circuit technology, a capacitance multiplier is often utilized to produce a larger capacitance value when a small physical capacitance falls short. This is achieved by a circuit that multiplies capacitance values by a factor of up to 1000, such that a 10-pF capacitor can replicate the performance of a 100-nF capacitor.
The circuit illustrated in Figure 1 below incorporates two op-amps, with the first operating as a voltage follower and the second acting as an inverting amplifier.

Equivalent Capacitance

Equivalent Capacitance

Multiple capacitors can be connected in a circuit in series or parallel configuration. When the capacitor combination is connected to a battery, the potential drop across each capacitor and the magnitude of charge stored in the individual capacitor depends on the type of the connection. The capacitor combination is replaced by a single equivalent capacitor that stores the same amount of charge as the combination for a given potential difference.
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Equivalent Capacitance

Equivalent Capacitance

From the study of resistive circuits, it is understood that employing a series-parallel combination serves as an effective strategy for simplifying circuits. Capacitors can be arranged within a circuit in one of two ways: a series configuration or a parallel configuration. The way these capacitors are connected to a battery will influence both the potential drop across each individual capacitor and the size of the charge that each capacitor can store. This is determined by the specific type of...

MOS Capacitor

MOS Capacitor

A Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) capacitor is a fundamental structure used extensively in semiconductor device technology, particularly in the fabrication of integrated circuits and MOSFETs (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors). The MOS capacitor consists of three layers: a metal gate, a dielectric oxide, and a semiconductor substrate.
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Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor

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Capacitors and Capacitance

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A device consisting of two electrical conductors that are separated by a distance and used to store electrical charges is called a capacitor. The space between the conductors is either a vacuum or an insulating material, called a dielectric. Capacitors have many applications, ranging from filtering static from radio reception to energy storage in heart defibrillators.
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Updated: Dec 24, 2025

Scanning-probe Single-electron Capacitance Spectroscopy

Scanning-probe Single-electron Capacitance Spectroscopy

Published on: July 30, 2013

A sensitivity-enhanced capacitance readout circuit with symmetric cross-coupling structure.

Tianbao Yu¹, Lianwen Deng¹, Ying Jiang¹

¹School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|April 9, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a novel capacitance readout circuit with quadrupled output strength. The design enhances signal detection for small capacitance variations, offering improved performance in sensitive electronic applications.

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Area of Science:

Electrical Engineering
Microelectronics
Sensor Technology

Background:

Capacitance sensors are crucial for detecting minute physical changes.
Existing readout circuits often struggle with low signal strength and slow integration times.
Amplifying weak capacitance signals is essential for high-precision measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a capacitance readout circuit with significantly enhanced output strength (quadrupled).
To improve the detection of small capacitance variations within short integration periods.
To address limitations in conventional capacitance sensing circuitry.

Main Methods:

A symmetric cross-coupling structure was designed to amplify voltage differences between adjacent channels.
The circuit integrates detected signals twice per clock cycle for signal boosting.
Measurements were conducted using discrete transistors with specific resistor value constraints (< 1 kΩ).

Main Results:

The proposed circuit achieved quadrupled (x4) output strength compared to conventional designs.
Increased output strength was observed for integration times in the tens of microseconds.
Good signal integrity was maintained at a 100 µs operating clock cycle.
Integrator resistors below 1 kΩ were found to suppress resistance-capacitance delay effects.

Conclusions:

The novel capacitance readout circuit effectively quadruples output strength.
It enables sensitive detection of small capacitance variations with short integration times.
This circuit design shows promise for advanced sensor applications requiring high signal integrity.