Frequency-Division Multiplexing with Graphene Active Electrodes for Neurosensor Applications

Multielectrode arrays are used broadly for neural recording, both in vivo and for ex vivo cultured neurons. In most cases, recording sites are passive electrodes wired to external read-out circuitry, and the number of wires is at least equal to the number of recording sites. We present an approach to break the conventional N-wire, N-electrode array architecture using graphene active electrodes, which allow signal upconversion at the recording site and sharing of each interface wire among multiple active electrodes using frequency-division multiplexing (FDM). The presented work includes the design and implementation of a frequency modulation and readout architecture using graphene FET electrodes, a custom integrated circuit (IC) analog front-end (AFE), and digital demodulation. The AFE was fabricated in 0.18 μm CMOS; electrical characterization and multi-channel FDM results are provided, including GFET-based signal modulation and IC/DSP demodulation. Long-term, this approach can simultaneously enable high signal count, high spatial resolution, and high temporal precision to infer functional interactions between neurons while markedly decreasing access wires.