Compact front-end electronics for low-level current sensor measurements

A low-cost pA-meter based on the precision integrator IVC102 is presented. By reducing the external noise contribution, the low number of implemented components allows the conditioning electronics to be installed closer to the sensor. The instrument shows an excellent linearity over the investigated range of input current (10^-11-10^-5 A). Moreover, measurements of the weak signal generated by a CVD diamond sample irradiated by UV light show that the realised circuit represents a very convenient alternative in fields where a high signal-to-noise ratio constitutes the most relevant key feature.