9319399 Peck, T. The objective of this research is to improve the performance of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microscopy systems by fabricating the radio-frequency (RF) detection coil and preamplifier on a single monolithic GaAs substrate. This combination of circuit elements can be designed to provide an optimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The RF microcoil will be formed from 4-7 turns of a gold conductor in a planar geometry. A simple tuning and impedance matching network will link the RF coil to a single stage, common source configuration, GaAs metal semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET). The amplifier will be designed for high gain and low noise over the relatively narrow bandwidth (300+/- 0.1 NHz) needed for NMR signal detection. Gallium arsenide MESFET amplifiers are ideal for this purpose. This project focuses specifically on the fabrication and testing of a prototype integrated circuit for NMR microscopy. The goal is to establish the feasibility of this approach as a stimulus to the future development of more advanced integrated circuitry for NMR research. Future developments in NMR microscopy (microcoil arrays, scanning NMR microscopes, and superconducting RF coils) will rely on advances in NMR integrated circuit technology. This proposal effort assembles a team of NMR, RF, and fabrication experts who are collaborating to develop the new technology. The success of this project is expected to have a major impact on NMR microscopy in particular, with potential advantages for the entire field of NMR spectroscopy and imaging. ***
