A 4.8-μVrms-Noise CMOS-Microelectrode Array With Density-Scalable Active Readout Pixels via Disaggregated Differential Amplifier Implementation.

Jun Ogi,Chigusa Yamane,Shigeki Hashimoto,Eriko Matsui,Yuri Kato,Yusuke Oike,Masataka Maehara,Yoshihisa Matoba,Takuya Kishimoto,Kenji Ikeda,Motoko Jingu,Yusaku Nakashima,Naohiko Kimizuka

doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00234

Abstract

We demonstrate a 4.8-μVrms noise microelectrode array (MEA) based on the complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor active-pixel-sensors readout technique with disaggregated differential amplifier implementation. The circuit elements of the differential amplifier are divided into a readout pixel, a reference pixel, and a column circuit. This disaggregation contributes to the small area of the readout pixel, which is less than 81 μm2. We observed neuron signals around 100 μV with 432 electrodes in a fabricated prototype chip. The implementation has technological feasibility of up to 12-μm-pitch electrode density and 6,912 readout channels for high-spatial resolution mapping of neuron network activity.

Highlights

In previous decades, a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-based MicroElectrode Array (MEA) was introduced to achieve two-dimensional high spatial resolution mapping of action potentials (APs) (Eversmann et al, 2003; Ballini et al, 2014)
While readout techniques with Active Pixel Sensors (APS) have been proposed to increase the channel number to over ten thousand, electrode density is limited above electrode pitch of 30 μm, because of the large area of the readout circuits integrated under the each electrode (Huys et al, 2012; Johnson et al, 2013)
We demonstrate a 4.8-μVrms noise CMOSMEA based on the APS readout technique with disaggregated differential amplifier implementation method

Summary

Introduction

A complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-based MicroElectrode Array (MEA) was introduced to achieve two-dimensional high spatial resolution mapping of action potentials (APs) (Eversmann et al, 2003; Ballini et al, 2014). While readout techniques with Active Pixel Sensors (APS) have been proposed to increase the channel number to over ten thousand, electrode density is limited above electrode pitch of 30 μm, because of the large area of the readout circuits integrated under the each electrode (Huys et al, 2012; Johnson et al, 2013).

Results

Conclusion