How to maximize the bandwidth without increasing the noise in op-amp-based transimpedance amplifiers using positive...

The bandwidth of very high gain (≥100 MV/A) transimpedance amplifiers is restricted to below 100 kHz, unless measures are employed to mitigate the effect of circuit parasitic capacitances. Current approaches involve significantly increased circuit complexity and component count. They may suffer unwanted noise pickup or destructive capacitive coupling to ground, the latter restricting the available bandwidth. We demonstrate that combining a positive feedback circuit with a low-pass filter network extends the bandwidth of a transimpedance amplifier out to the limit of gain peaking (>1 MHz) without increasing the noise signal. The circuit uses a single inverting amplifier and very large feedback-resistance to provide a canceling parasitic-capacitance positive feedback signal. This can negate both the negative feedback-resistor parasitic-capacitance and the input/output pin parasitic-capacitance of the transimpedance amplifier. The circuit solves the problem of destructive distributed-capacitive coupling to ground along the feedback resistor.