Differential Readout Cell Layout for Low-Noise High-Resolution Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices with integrated electrodes, amplifiers, and AD converters face challenges in reducing cell circuit area while maintaining high resolution and low noise, particularly when using differential amplifiers that require two input transistors per cell circuit.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device separates the differential amplifier transistors into two distinct cell regions: one for readout cells and another for reference cells, allowing for a single input transistor per unit cell and sharing reference cells among multiple readout cells to reduce circuit area and increase resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a differential amplifier is adopted to maintain low noise, then noise performance is improved, but cell circuit area increases due to requiring two input transistors per cell circuit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the differential amplifier into two separate regions: a first region containing one input transistor and a second region containing the other input transistor. This segmentation allows the cell circuit to use only one transistor per cell while still achieving differential amplification functionality, thereby reducing cell circuit area while maintaining low noise performance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If two input transistors are provided in one cell circuit for differential amplification, then low noise is achieved, but resolution increases are limited due to fixed cell circuit area
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the differential amplifier transistors into separate first and second regions, the patent reduces the area occupied by each cell circuit. This freed-up area can then be utilized to increase the number of measurement points or improve signal processing capabilities, thereby achieving higher resolution while maintaining low noise levels.
3Measurement precision
If cell circuit area is reduced to increase resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but maintaining low noise becomes difficult without differential amplification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves both reduced cell circuit area and maintained low noise by separating the differential amplifier transistors into different regions. Each cell circuit in the first region can be miniaturized for high resolution, while the corresponding transistors in the second region maintain the differential amplification function for noise reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a semiconductor device that makes it possible to reduce a cell circuit area and an increase in resolution. There is provided a semiconductor device including: a first region in which readout cells are arranged in an array form, the readout cells having one of input transistors included in a differential amplifier: and a second region in which reference cells are arranged in an array form, the reference cells having another input transistor included in the differential amplifier, the first region and the second region being separated from each other.