
General Description
The MAX4238/MAX4239 are low-noise, low-drift, ultrahigh precision amplifiers that offer near-zero DC offset
and drift through the use of patented autocorrelating
zeroing techniques. This method constantly measures
and compensates the input offset, eliminating drift over
time and temperature and the effect of 1/f noise. Both
devices feature rail-to-rail outputs, operate from a single
2.7V to 5.5V supply, and consume only 600µA. An activelow shutdown mode decreases supply current to 0.1µA.
The MAX4238 is unity-gain stable with a gain-bandwidth product of 1MHz, while the decompensated
MAX4239 is stable with A
V
≥ 10V/V and a GBWP of
6.5MHz. The MAX4238/MAX4239 are available in 8-pin
narrow SO, 6-pin TDFN and SOT23 packages.
Applications
Thermocouples
Strain Gauges
Electronic Scales
Medical Instrumentation
Instrumentation Amplifiers
Features
o Ultra-Low, 0.1µV Offset Voltage
2.0µV (max) at +25°C
2.5µV (max) at -40°C to +85°C
3.5µV (max) at -40°C to +125°C
o Low 10nV/°C Drift
o Specified over the -40°C to +125°C Automotive
Temperature Range
o Low Noise: 1.5µV
P-P
from DC to 10Hz
o 150dB A
VOL
, 140dB PSRR, 140dB CMRR
o High Gain-Bandwidth Product
1MHz (MAX4238)
6.5MHz (MAX4239)
o 0.1µA Shutdown Mode
o Rail-to-Rail Output (R
L
= 1kΩ)
o Low 600µA Supply Current
o Ground-Sensing Input
o Single 2.7V to 5.5V Supply Voltage Range
o Available in a Space-Saving 6-Pin SOT23 and
TDFN Packages
MAX4238/MAX4239
Ultra-Low Offset/Drift, Low-Noise,
Precision SOT23 Amplifiers
________________________________________________________________
Maxim Integrated Products
1
Typical Application Circuit
19-2424; Rev 3; 8/11
For pricing, delivery, and ordering information, please contact Maxim Direct at 1-888-629-4642,
or visit Maxim’s website at www.maxim-ic.com.
Pin Configurations appear at end of data sheet.
Note: All devices are specified over the -40°C to +125°C oper-
ating temperature range.
+
Denotes a lead(Pb)-free/RoHS-compliant package.
*
EP = Exposed paddle.
/V denotes an automotive-qualified part.
Ordering Information
5V
18kΩ
18kΩ
AV = 100
MAX4238/
ADC
AIN
MAX4239
360Ω
STRAIN GAUGE
PART PIN-PACKAGE TOP MARK
MAX4238AUT-T 6 SOT23 AAZZ
MAX4238AUT/V+T 6 SOT23 —
MAX4238ASA 8 SO —
MAX4238ATT+T 6 TDFN-EP* +ANG
MAX4239AUT-T 6 SOT23 ABAA
MAX4239AUT/V+T 6 SOT23 —
MAX4239ASA 8 SO —
MAX4239ATT+T 6 TDFN-EP* +ANH
PART
MAX4238 1V/V 1
MAX4239 10V/V 6.5
MINIMUM STABLE
GAIN
GAIN
BANDWIDTH
(MHz)

MAX4238/MAX4239
Ultra-Low Offset/Drift, Low-Noise,
Precision SOT23 Amplifiers
2 _______________________________________________________________________________________
ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
(2.7V ≤ VCC≤ 5.5V, VCM= V
GND
= 0V, V
OUT
= VCC/2, RL= 10kΩ connected to VCC/2, SHDN = VCC, TA= +25°C,
unless otherwise noted.)
Stresses beyond those listed under “Absolute Maximum Ratings” may cause permanent damage to the device. These are stress ratings only, and functional
operation of the device at these or any other conditions beyond those indicated in the operational sections of the specifications is not implied. Exposure to
absolute maximum rating conditions for extended periods may affect device reliability.
Power-Supply Voltage (VCCto GND).......................................6V
All Other Pins ................................(V
GND
- 0.3V) to (VCC+ 0.3V)
Output Short-Circuit Duration
(OUT shorted to V
CC
or GND) ...............................Continuous
Continuous Power Dissipation (T
A
= +70°C)
6-Pin Plastic SOT23
(derate 9.1mW/°C above +70°C)...............................727mW
8-Pin Plastic SO (derate 5.88mW/°C above +70°C) ....471mW
6-Pin TDFN-EP (derate 18.2mW above +70°C) .........1454mW
Operating Temperature Range .........................-40°C to +125°C
Junction Temperature......................................................+150°C
Storage Temperature Range .............................-65°C to +150°C
Lead Temperature (soldering, 10s) .................................+300°C
Soldering Temperature (reflow)
Lead(Pb)-Free Packages.............................................+260°C
Packages Containing Lead..........................................+240°C
Input Offset Voltage VOS (Note 1) 0.1 2 µV
Long-Term Offset Drift 50 nV/1000hr
Input Bias Current IB (Note 2) 1 pA
Input Offset Current IOS (Note 2) 2 pA
Peak-to-Peak Input Noise
Voltage
Input Voltage-Noise Density en f = 1kHz 30 NV/Hz
Common-Mode Input
Voltage Range
Common-Mode Rejection Ratio CMRR -0.1V VCM VCC - 1.3V (Note 1) 120 140 dB
Power-Supply Rejection Ratio PSRR 2.7V VCC 5.5V (Note 1) 120 140 dB
Large-Signal Voltage Gain A
Output Voltage Swing VOH/V
Output Short-Circuit Current To either suppl y 40 mA
Output Leakage Current 0 V
Slew Rate
Gain- Bandwidth Product GBWP
Min imum Stable Clo sed-Loop
Gain
PARAMETER SYMBOL CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS
e
RS = 100, 0.01Hz to 10Hz 1.5 µV
nP-P
Inferred from CMRR test
V
CM
VOL
OL
0.05V V
(Note 1)
0.1V V
(Note 1)
RL = 10k
RL = 1k
V
V
R
measured at f = 100kHz
RL = 10k, CL = 100pF,
phase margin = 60°
OUT
OUT
VCC, SHDN = GND (Note 2) 0.01 1 µA
OUT
= 5V, CL = 100pF,
CC
= 2V step
OUT
= 10k, CL = 100pF,
L
V
CC
- 1.3
VCC - 0.05V
VCC - 0.1V
V
GND
- 0.1
= 10k 125 150
R
L
= 1k 125 145
R
L
VCC - VOH 4 10
4 10
V
OL
VCC - VOH 35 50
35 50
V
OL
MAX4238 0.35
MAX4239 1.6
MAX4238 1
MAX4239 6.5
MAX4238 1
MAX4239 10
P-P
V
dB
mV
V/µs
MHz
V/V

MAX4238/MAX4239
Ultra-Low Offset/Drift, Low-Noise,
Precision SOT23 Amplifiers
_______________________________________________________________________________________ 3
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued)
(2.7V ≤ VCC≤ 5.5V, VCM= V
GND
= 0V, V
OUT
= VCC/2, RL= 10kΩ connected to VCC/2, SHDN = VCC, TA= +25°C,
unless otherwise noted.)
PARAMETER SYMBOL CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS
Max imum Closed-Loop Gain
Settling Time -1V step
Overload Reco ver y Time
Startup Time AV = 10
Supply Voltage Range VCC Inferred by PSRR test 2.7 5.5 V
Supply Current I
Shutdown Logic-High VIH 2.2 V
Shutdown Logic-Low VIL 0.8 V
Shutdown Input Current 0V V
CC
= 10k, CL = 100pF,
R
L
phase margin = 60°
A
= 10
V
(Note 4)
SHDN = VCC, no load, VCC = 5.5V 600 850
SHDN = GND, VCC = 5.5V 0.1 1
VCC 0.1 1 µA
SHDN
MAX4238 1000
MAX4239 6700
0.1% (10 bit) 0.5
0.025% (12 bit) 1.0
0.006% (14 bit) 1.7
0.0015% (16 bit) 2.3
0.1% (10 bit) 3.3
0.025% (12 bit) 4.1
0.006% (14 bit) 4.9
0.0015% (16 bit) 5.7
0.1% (10 bit) 1.8
0.025% (12 bit) 2.6
0.006% (14 bit) 3.4
0.0015% (16 bit) 4.3
V/V
ms
ms
ms
µA

MAX4238/MAX4239
Ultra-Low Offset/Drift, Low-Noise,
Precision SOT23 Amplifiers
4 _______________________________________________________________________________________
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
(2.7V ≤ VCC≤ 5.5V, VCM= GND = 0V, V
OUT
= VCC/2, RL= 10kΩ connected to VCC/2, SHDN = VCC, TA= -40°C to +125°C, unless other-
wise noted.) (Note 5)
Note 1: Guaranteed by design. Thermocouple and leakage effects preclude measurement of this parameter during production
testing. Devices are screened during production testing to eliminate defective units.
Note 2: IN+ and IN- are gates to CMOS transistors with typical input bias current of 1pA. CMOS leakage is so small that it is
impractical to test and guarantee in production. Devices are screened during production testing to eliminate defective units.
Note 3: Leakage does not include leakage through feedback resistors.
Note 4: Overload recovery time is the time required for the device to recover from saturation when the output has been
driven to either rail.
Note 5: Specifications are 100% tested at T
A
= +25°C, unless otherwise noted. Limits over temperature are guaranteed by design.
PARAMETER SYMBOL CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS
Input Offset Voltage VOS (Note 1)
Input Offset Drift TCVOS (Note 1) 10 nV/°C
Common-Mode Input Voltage
Range
Common-Mode Rejection Ratio CMRR
Power-Supply Rejection Ratio PSRR 2.7V VCC 5.5V (Note 1) 120 dB
Large-Signal Voltage Gain A
Output Voltage Swing VOH/V
Output Leakage Current
Supply Voltage Range VCC Inferred by PSRR test 2.7 5.5 V
Supply Current I
Shutdown Logic High VIH 2.2 V
Shutdown Logic Low VIL 0.7 V
Shutdown Input Current 0V V
TA = -40°C to +85°C 2.5
= -40°C to +125°C 3.5
T
A
V
V
Inferred from CMRR test
CM
- 0.05V
V
GND
V
VCC -
CM
1.4V (Note 1)
RL = 10k,
0.1V V
VCC - 0.1V
(Note 1)
VOL
RL = 1k
(Note 1)
RL = 10k
OL
RL = 1k
0V V
(Note 3)
CC
SHDN = VCC, no load, VCC = 5.5V 900
SHDN = GND, VCC = 5.5V 2
OUT
OUT
SHDN
TA = -40°C to +85°C 115
= -40°C to +125°C 90
T
A
TA = -40°C to +85°C 125
= -40°C to +125°C 95
T
A
0.1V V
T
= -40°C to +85°C
A
0.2V V
= -40°C to +125°C
T
A
VCC - VOH 20
20
V
OL
VCC - VOH 100
100
V
OL
VCC, SHDN = GND
VCC 2 µA
VCC - 0.1V,
OUT
VCC - 0.2V,
OUT
GND
- 0.05
120
80
2 µA
V
CC
- 1.4
µV
V
dB
dB
dB
mV
µA

MAX4238/MAX4239
Ultra-Low Offset/Drift, Low-Noise,
Precision SOT23 Amplifiers
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5
Typical Operating Characteristics
(VCC= 5V, VCM= 0V, RL= 10kΩ connected to VCC/2, SHDN = VCC, TA= +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
INPUT OFFSET DISTRIBUTION
50
40
30
20
PERCENTAGE OF UNITS (%)
10
0
OFFSET VOLTAGE (µV)
MAX4238/39 toc01
1.51.20.90.60.30-0.3-0.6-0.9-1.2-1.5
OUTPUT HIGH VOLTAGE
vs. OUTPUT SOURCE CURRENT
0.30
VOH = VCC - V
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
OUTPUT HIGH VOLTAGE (V)
0.05
0
020
OUT
MAX4238/39 toc04
VCC = 2.7V
VCC = 5V
15105
SOURCE CURRENT (mA)
OFFSET VOLTAGE vs. SUPPLY VOLTAGE
0.4
TA = +125°C
0.2
TA = +25°C
0
OFFSET VOLTAGE (µV)
-0.2
-0.4
2.7 5.5
SUPPLY VOLTAGE (V)
TA = -40°C
4.84.13.4
MAX4238/39 toc02
OFFSET VOLTAGE (µV)
OUTPUT LOW VOLTAGE
vs. OUTPUT SINK CURRENT
0.35
0.30
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
OUTPUT LOW VOLTAGE (V)
0.05
0
020
VCC = 2.7V
VCC = 5V
15105
SINK CURRENT (mA)
MAX4238/39 toc05
-100
-120
GAIN AND PHASE (dB/DEGREES)
-140
-160
-180
vs. COMMON-MODE VOLTAGE
0.4
TA = +125°C
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
0 3.6
COMMON-MODE VOLTAGE (V)
GAIN AND PHASE vs. FREQUENCY
80
60
40
20
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
VCC = 5V
GAIN = 60dB
Ω
= 10k
R
L
= 0pF
C
L
100 10M
OFFSET VOLTAGE
TA = +25°C
MAX4238
FREQUENCY (Hz)
MAX4238/39 toc03
TA = -40°C
2.71.80.9
MAX4238/39 toc06
1M100k10k1k
GAIN AND PHASE vs. FREQUENCY
MAX4238
80
60
40
20
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
-100
VCC = 5V
-120
GAIN AND PHASE (dB/DEGREES)
GAIN = 60dB
-140
= 10kΩ
R
L
-160
= 100pF
C
L
-180
100 10M
FREQUENCY (Hz)
MAX4238
GAIN AND PHASE vs. FREQUENCY
80
60
MAX4238/39 toc07
1M100k10k1k
40
20
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
-100
VCC = 5V
-120
GAIN AND PHASE (dB/DEGREES)
GAIN = 40dB
-140
= 10kΩ
R
L
-160
= 0pF
C
L
-180
100 10M
FREQUENCY (Hz)
MAX4238/39 toc08
1M100k10k1k
GAIN AND PHASE vs. FREQUENCY
80
60
40
20
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
-100
VCC = 5V
-120
GAIN AND PHASE (dB/DEGREES)
GAIN = 40dB
-140
= 10kΩ
R
L
-160
= 68pF
C
L
-180
100 10M
MAX4238
MAX4238/39 toc09
1M100k10k1k
FREQUENCY (Hz)

MAX4238/MAX4239
Ultra-Low Offset/Drift, Low-Noise,
Precision SOT23 Amplifiers
6 _______________________________________________________________________________________
Typical Operating Characteristics (continued)
(VCC= 5V, VCM= 0V, RL= 10kΩ connected to VCC/2, SHDN = VCC, TA= +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
COMMON-MODE REJECTION RATIO
vs. FREQUENCY
MAX4238/39 toc14
FREQUENCY (kHz)
CMRR (dB)
100100.1 1
-140
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
0.01 1000
-160
POWER-SUPPLY REJECTION RATIO
vs. FREQUENCY
MAX4238/39 toc13
FREQUENCY (kHz)
PSRR (dB)
100100.1 1
-140
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
-160
0.01 1000
MAX4239
GAIN AND PHASE vs. FREQUENCY
MAX4238/39 toc10
FREQUENCY (Hz)
GAIN AND PHASE (dB/DEGREES)
1E+61E+51E+41E+3
-160
-140
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
-180
1E+2 1E+7
VCC = 5V
GAIN = 40dB
R
L
= 10k
Ω
C
L
= 0pF
MAX4239
SMALL-SIGNAL TRANSIENT RESPONSE
MAX4238/39 toc17
AV = 10V/V
R
L
= 2kΩ
C
L
= 100pF
10µs/div
OUT
IN
500mV/div
50mV/div
MAX4238
LARGE-SIGNAL TRANSIENT RESPONSE
MAX4238/39 toc15
AV = 1V/V
R
L
= 2kΩ
C
L
= 100pF
10µs/div
OUT
IN
1V/div
1V/div
MAX4239
GAIN AND PHASE vs. FREQUENCY
MAX4238/39 toc11
FREQUENCY (Hz)
GAIN AND PHASE (dB/DEGREES)
1E+61E+51E+41E+3
-160
-140
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
-180
1E+2 1E+7
VCC = 5V
GAIN = 40dB
R
L
= 10kΩ
C
L
= 100pF
OVERVOLTAGE RECOVERY TIME
MAX4238/39 toc18
AV = 100V/V
R
L
= 10kΩ
V
CC
= 2.5V
V
EE
= -2.5V
400µs/div
0
0
OUT
IN
1V/div
50mV/div
MAX4238
SMALL-SIGNAL TRANSIENT RESPONSE
MAX4238/39 toc16
AV = 1V/V
R
L
= 2kΩ
C
L
= 100pF
10µs/div
OUT
50mV/div
IN
50mV/div
SUPPLY CURRENT vs. SUPPLY VOLTAGE
MAx4238/39 toc12
SUPPLY VOLTAGE (V)
SUPPLY CURRENT (µA)
4321
200
300
400
500
600
0
100
05
TA = +125°C
TA = +25°C
TA = -40°C

Detailed Description
The MAX4238/MAX4239 are high-precision amplifiers
that have less than 2.5µV of input-referred offset and
low 1/f noise. These characteristics are achieved
through a patented autozeroing technique that samples
and cancels the input offset and noise of the amplifier.
The pseudorandom clock frequency varies from 10kHz
to 15kHz, reducing intermodulation distortion present in
chopper-stabilized amplifiers.
Offset Error Sources
To achieve very low offset, several sources of error
common to autozero-type amplifiers need to be considered. The first contributor is the settling of the sampling
capacitor. This type of error is independent of inputsource impedance, or the size of the external gain-setting resistors. Maxim uses a patented design technique
to avoid large changes in the voltage on the sampling
capacitor to reduce settling time errors.
The second error contributor, which is present in both
autozero and chopper-type amplifiers, is the charge
injection from the switches. The charge injection
appears as current spikes at the input, and combined
with the impedance seen at the amplifier’s input, contributes to input offset voltage. Minimize this
feedthrough by reducing the size of the gain-setting
resistors and the input-source impedance. A capacitor
in parallel with the feedback resistor reduces the
amount of clock feedthrough to the output by limiting
the closed-loop bandwidth of the device.
The design of the MAX4238/MAX4239 minimizes the
effects of settling and charge injection to allow specification of an input offset voltage of 0.1µV (typ) and less
than 2.5µV over temperature (-40°C to +85°C).
1/f Noise
1/f noise, inherent in all semiconductor devices, is
inversely proportional to frequency. 1/f noise increases
3dB/octave and dominates amplifier noise at lower frequencies. This noise appears as a constantly changing
voltage in series with any signal being measured. The
MAX4238/MAX4239 treat 1/f noise as a slow varying
offset error, inherently canceling the 1/f noise.
MAX4238/MAX4239
Ultra-Low Offset/Drift, Low-Noise,
Precision SOT23 Amplifiers
_______________________________________________________________________________________ 7
Typical Operating Characteristics (continued)
(VCC= 5V, VCM= 0V, RL= 10kΩ connected to VCC/2, SHDN = VCC, TA= +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
SHUTDOWN WAVEFORM
MAX4238/39 toc20
RL = 10kΩ
C
L
= 100pF
10µs/div
OUT
2V/div
1V/div
SHDN
DC TO 10Hz NOISE
MAX4238/39 toc19
VCC = 2.5V
V
EE
= -2.5V
1s/div
OUT
2µV/div
PIN
TDFN SOT23 SO
1 1 6 OUT Amp lifier Output
2 2 4 GND Ground
3 3 3 IN+ Noninverting Input
4 4 2 IN- Inverting Input
5 5 1 SHDN
6 6 7 VCC Positive Power Supply
— — 5, 8 N.C.
— — — EP
NAME FUNCTION
Shutdown Input. Active-low
shutdown, connect to V
for normal operation.
No Connection. Not
internally connected.
Exposed Pad (TDFN only).
Connect EP to GND.
CC

MAX4238/MAX4239
Output Overload Recovery
Autozeroing amplifiers typically require a substantial
amount of time to recover from an output overload. This
is due to the time it takes for the null amplifier to correct
the main amplifier to a valid output. The MAX4238/
MAX4239 require only 3.3ms to recover from an output
overload (see
Electrical Characteristics
and
Typical
Operating Characteristics
).
Shutdown
The MAX4238/MAX4239 feature a low-power (0.1µA)
shutdown mode. When SHDN is pulled low, the clock
stops and the device output enters a high-impedance
state. Connect SHDN to VCCfor normal operation.
Applications Information
Minimum and Maximum Gain
Configurations
The MAX4238 is a unity-gain stable amplifier with a gainbandwidth product (GBWP) of 1MHz. The MAX4239 is
decompensated for a GBWP of 6.5MHz and is stable with
a gain of 10V/V. Unlike conventional operational amplifiers, the MAX4238/MAX4239 have a maximum gain
specification. To maintain stability, set the gain of the
MAX4238 between AV= 1000V/V to 1V/V, and set the
gain of the MAX4239 between AV= 6700V/V and 10V/V.
ADC Buffer Amplifier
The low offset, fast settling time, and 1/f noise cancellation of the MAX4238/MAX4239 make these devices
ideal for ADC buffers. The MAX4238/MAX4239 are well
suited for low-speed, high-accuracy applications such
as strain gauges (see
Typical Application Circuit
).
Error Budget Example
When using the MAX4238/MAX4239 as an ADC buffer,
the temperature drift should be taken into account when
determining the maximum input signal. With a typical offset drift of 10nV/°C, the drift over a 10°C range is 100nV.
Setting this equal to 1/2LSB in a 16-bit system yields a
full-scale range of 13mV. With a single 2.7V supply, an
acceptable closed-loop gain is AV= 200. This provides
sufficient gain while maintaining headroom.
Ultra-Low Offset/Drift, Low-Noise,
Precision SOT23 Amplifiers
8 _______________________________________________________________________________________
Pin Configurations
Chip Information
PROCESS: BiCMOS
Package Information
For the latest package outline information and land patterns
(footprints), go to www.maxim-ic.com/packages
. Note that a
“+”, “#”, or “-” in the package code indicates RoHS status only.
Package drawings may show a different suffix character, but
the drawing pertains to the package regardless of RoHS status.
PACKAGE
TYPE
PACKAGE
CODE
OUTLINE NO.
LAND
PATTERN NO.
6 SOT23 U6F-6
21-0058
90-0175
8 SO S8-4
21-0041
90-0096
6 TDFN T633+2
21-0137 90-0058
SHDN
IN-
IN+
TOP VIEW
1
2
3
4
+
(3mm x 3mm x 0.8mm)
*CONNECT EP TO GND.
MAX4238/
MAX4239
SO
CC
V
SHDN4IN-
6
5
EP*
MAX4238/
MAX4239
1
23
OUT
87N.C.
V
OUT
6
N.C.GND
5
TDFN
CC
IN+
GND
MAX4238/
MAX4239
16V
OUT
GND
2
34
SOT23
5 SHDN
CC
IN-IN+

MAX4238/MAX4239
Ultra-Low Offset/Drift, Low-Noise,
Precision SOT23 Amplifiers
Maxim cannot assume responsibility for use of any circuitry other than circuitry entirely embodied in a Maxim product. No circuit patent licenses are
implied. Maxim reserves the right to change the circuitry and specifications without notice at any time. The parametric values (min and max limits) shown in
the Electrical Characteristics table are guaranteed. Other parametric values quoted in this data sheet are provided for guidance.
9
_____________________Maxim Integrated Products, 120 San Gabriel Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408-737-7600
© 2011 Maxim Integrated Products Maxim is a registered trademark of Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
Revision History
REVISION
NUMBER
2 5/06 — —
3 8/11 Added MAX4238 and MAX4239 automotive-qualified parts 1
REVISION
DATE
DESCRIPTION
PAGES
CHANGED