New CMOS potentiostat as ASIC for several electrochemical microsensors construction

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to design and create a potentiostat that can be integrated and encapsulated within a microelectrode as a low‐cost electrochemical sensor. Recently, microsystems on sensors or lab on a chip using electrochemical detection of substances matters are pushing forward into the area of analysis. For providing electrochemical analysis, the microsystem has to be equipped with an integrated potentiostat.Design/methodology/approachThe integrated potentiostat with four current ranges (from 1 μA to 1 mA) was designed in the CADENCE software environment using the AMIS CMOS 0.7 μm technology and fabricated under the Europractice program. Memory cells of 48 bytes are implemented with the potentiostat using VERILOG.FindingsThe characteristics of integrated potentiostat are strictly linear; the measured results confirm the simulated values. The potentiostat measurements error is about 1.5 percent and very low offsets are reached by the offset‐zeroing circuitry.Research limitations/implicationsThe detection limit of the current at the lowest range with respect to S/N ratio is about 10 nA.Practical implicationsThe integrated potentiostat is embedded on a screen‐printed sensor and its characteristics are successfully verified. Lower range of 100 nA can be implemented on a new microchip as well as rail‐to‐rail output circuitry would increase the voltage dynamic range.Originality/valueThe integrated potentiostat with very good parameters is designed for a wide spectrum of electrochemical applications such as lab on a chip, embedded electrochemical systems, etc. The integrated system enables storing of information about the system measured, for instance, calibration and fabrication data of the electrochemical sensor.

Electrochemical Microsensors for the Detection of Cadmium(II) and Lead(II) Ions in Plants

“…For the next experiments we fabricated a simple micropotentiostat [ 45 ]. The apparatus consists of the 10 × 10 cm printed circuit board mounted with SMD devices ( Figure 5 ).…”

“…The chip was designed using AMIS CMOS 0.7 μm technology and fabricated under the Europractice program. Memory cells of 48 bytes were implemented with the potentiostat using VERILOG [ 45 ]. The integrated measurement system has two sections.…”

Nanotechnologies for society. New designs and applications of nanosensors and nanobiosensors in medicine and environmental analysis

“…Voltage range controlled on auxiliary electrode is ±2.5 V, current of working electrode is transformed to asymmetric current output with resistor 1.5 kΩ which converts output to voltage range 0-5 V with bias at 2.5 V. It means that the current is from 2.5 V to 0 V negative and from 2.5 V to 5 V positive. The chip can be implemented directly within electrodes [209]. The second chip is designed for conductivity measurements using bipolar pulse technique (Figure 8(B)).…”

“…(A) Screen printed electrodes with the chip of potentiostat and example of cyclic voltammetry measurement[209]. (B) The conductometric chip[210].…”