A low-noise microluminometer for a Bioluminescent Bioreporter Integrated Circuit

This thesis presents the analysis and design of a low-noise microluminometer for a hybrid electronic/biological chemical sensor known as a Bioluminescent Bioreporter Integrated Circuit (BBIC). The microluminometer consists of photodetection and signal processing Both functions are integrated in a standard bulk CMOS process (HP 0.5 urn CMOS).

The photodetection is first described in terms of physical operation. The implementation of photodetectors in a CMOS integrated circuit process is then presented. The signal processing system is analyzed, and the errors introduced by individual system components are described. A detailed system-level noise analysis is also presented The design of a low-noise amplifier is the focus of this thesis. The amplifier design is described in detail. Finally, the results from testing of the fabricated prototype are presented.