LTC2066/LTC2067
15
Rev A
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Using the LTC2066/LTC2067
The LTC2066/LTC2067 are single and dual zero-drift op-
erational amplifiers with the open-loop voltage gain and
bandwidth characteristics of a conventional operational
amplifier. Advanced circuit techniques allow the LTC2066/
LTC2067 to operate continuously through its entire band-
width while self-calibrating unwanted errors.
Input Voltage Noise
Zero-drift amplifiers like the LTC2066/LTC2067 achieve
low input offset voltage and 1/f noise by heterodyning DC
and flicker noise to higher frequencies. In early zero-drift
amplifiers, this process resulted in idle tones at the self-
calibration frequency, often referred to as the chopping
frequency. These artifacts made early zero-drift amplifiers
difficult to use. The advanced circuit techniques used by
the LTC2066/LTC2067 suppress these spurious artifacts,
allowing for trouble-free use.
Input Current Noise
For applications with high source and feedback imped-
ances, input current noise can be a significant contributor
to total output noise. For this reason, it is important to
consider noise current interaction with circuit elements
placed at the amplifier’s inputs.
CURRENT NOISE DENSITY (fA/√
Figure1. Input Current Noise Spectrum
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
The current noise spectrum of the LTC2066/LTC2067 is
shown in Figure1. Low input current noise is achieved
through the use of MOSFET input devices and self-calibra-
tion techniques to eliminate 1/f current noise. As with all
zero-drift amplifiers, there is an increase in current noise
at the offset-nulling frequency. This phenomenon is dis-
cussed in the Input Bias Current and Clock Feedthrough
section.
Input current noise also rises with frequency due to ca-
pacitive coupling of MOSFET channel thermal noise.
Input Bias Current and Clock Feedthrough
The input bias current of zero-drift amplifiers has differ-
ent characteristics than that of a traditional operational
amplifier. The specified input bias current is the DC aver-
age of transient currents which conduct due to the input
stage’s switching circuitry. In addition to this, junction
leakages can contribute additional input bias current at
elevated temperatures. Through careful design and the
use of an innovative boot-strap circuit the input bias cur-
rent of the LTC2066/LTC2067 does not exceed 35pA at
room and 150pA over the full temperature range. This
minimizes bias current induced errors even in high im-
pedance circuits.
Transient switching currents at the input interact with
source and feedback impedances producing error volt-
ages which are indistinguishable from a valid input signal.
The resulting error voltages are amplified by the ampli-
fier’s closed-loop gain, which acts as a filter, attenuating
frequency components above the circuit bandwidth. This
phenomenon is known as clock feedthrough and is pres-
ent in all zero-drift amplifiers. Understanding the cause
and effect of clock feedthrough is important when using
zero-drift amplifiers.
For zero-drift amplifiers, clock feedthrough is propor-
tional to source and feedback impedances, as well as the
magnitude of the transient currents. These transient cur-
rents have been minimized in the LTC2066/LTC2067 to
allow use with high source and feedback impedances.
Many circuit designs require high feedback impedances