title: A Comparative Analysis of CMUT Receiving Architectures for the Design Optimization of Integrated Transceiver Front Ends.
abstract: A formal comparison between fundamental RX amplifier configurations for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) is proposed in this paper. The impact on both RX and the pulse-echo frequency response and on the output SNR is thoroughly analyzed and discussed. It is shown that the resistive-feedback amplifier yields a bandpass RX frequency response, while both open-loop voltage and capacitive-feedback amplifiers exhibit a low-pass frequency response. For a given power dissipation, it is formally proved that a capacitive-feedback amplifier provides a remarkable SNR improvement against the commonly adopted resistive feedback stage, achieved at the expense of a reduced pulse-echo center frequency, making its use convenient in low-frequency and midfrequency ultrasound imaging applications. The advantage mostly comes from a much lower noise contributed by the active devices, especially with low- Q , broadband transducers. The results of the analysis are applied to the design of a CMUT front end in BIPOLAR-CMOS-DMOS Silicon-on-Insulator technology operating at 10-MHz center frequency. It comprises a low-power RX amplifier, a high-voltage Transmission/Reception switch, and a 100-V TX driver. Extensive electrical characterization, pulse-echo measurements, and imaging results are shown. Compared with previously reported CMUT front ends, this transceiver demonstrates the highest dynamic range and state-of-the-art noise performance with an RX amplifier power dissipation of 1 mW.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sautto
authors.forename: Alessandro Stuart
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Savoia
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quaglia
authors.forename: Giosue
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caliano
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzanti