Publication detail

Fast low-noise transimpedance amplifier for scanning tunneling microscopy and beyond

ŠTUBIAN, M. BOBEK, J. SETVÍN, M. DIEBOLD, U. SCHMID, M.

English title

Fast low-noise transimpedance amplifier for scanning tunneling microscopy and beyond

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

en

Original abstract

A transimpedance amplifier has been designed for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The amplifier features low noise (limited by the Johnson noise of the 1 G Omega feedback resistor at low input current and low frequencies), sufficient bandwidth for most STM applications (50 kHz at 35 pF input capacitance), a large dynamic range (0.1 pA-50 nA without range switching), and a low input voltage offset. The amplifier is also suited for placing its first stage into the cryostat of a low-temperature STM, minimizing the input capacitance and reducing the Johnson noise of the feedback resistor. The amplifier may also find applications for specimen current imaging and electron-beam-induced current measurements in scanning electron microscopy and as a photodiode amplifier with a large dynamic range. This paper also discusses the sources of noise including the often neglected effect of non-balanced input impedance of operational amplifiers and describes how to accurately measure and adjust the frequency response of low-current transimpedance amplifiers.

English abstract

A transimpedance amplifier has been designed for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The amplifier features low noise (limited by the Johnson noise of the 1 G Omega feedback resistor at low input current and low frequencies), sufficient bandwidth for most STM applications (50 kHz at 35 pF input capacitance), a large dynamic range (0.1 pA-50 nA without range switching), and a low input voltage offset. The amplifier is also suited for placing its first stage into the cryostat of a low-temperature STM, minimizing the input capacitance and reducing the Johnson noise of the feedback resistor. The amplifier may also find applications for specimen current imaging and electron-beam-induced current measurements in scanning electron microscopy and as a photodiode amplifier with a large dynamic range. This paper also discusses the sources of noise including the often neglected effect of non-balanced input impedance of operational amplifiers and describes how to accurately measure and adjust the frequency response of low-current transimpedance amplifiers.

Keywords in English

THERMAL NOISE; SINGLE ATOMS; GATE NOISE; BANDWIDTH; PREAMPLIFIER; SURFACE

Released

01.07.2020

Publisher

AMER INST PHYSICS

Location

MELVILLE

ISSN

0034-6748

Volume

91

Number

7

Pages from–to

1–11

Pages count

11

BIBTEX


@article{BUT177312,
  author="Martin {Štubian} and Juraj {Bobek} and Martin {Setvín} and Ulrike {Diebold} and Michael {Schmid},
  title="Fast low-noise transimpedance amplifier for scanning tunneling microscopy and beyond",
  year="2020",
  volume="91",
  number="7",
  month="July",
  pages="1--11",
  publisher="AMER INST PHYSICS",
  address="MELVILLE",
  issn="0034-6748"
}