1

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

Single-Stage Integrated Circuit Amplifier

(Part 1)

Introduction!
ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

Single-Stage Integrated Circuit Amplifier

Introduction :
We
have
studied
configurations.

discretecircuit

amplifier

The next domain is integratedcircuit amplifiers.

There is a difference in IC design philosophy.

Circuits combine MOS and bipolar transistors in a

technology known as BiMOS or BiCMOS.
Chip-area considerations dictate that while resistors are
to be avoided, constant current sources are readily
available.

contd!
ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

Integrated Circuit Design Philosophy

Large capacitors are components external to the IC chip but should

be used cautiously to keep number of chip terminals small to avoid
high cost.

As of 2003, CMOS process technologies are capable of producing

devices with a 0.1 m channel length. Advantages?

These require overdrive voltages of only 0.2 volts or so.

However, bipolar circuits can still provide much higher output currents.
Due to reliability under severe environmental conditions, the bipolar
circuits are preferred for applications in the automotive industry.

CMOS is the most popular technology for the implementation of

digital systems due to :
Small size
Ease of fabrication and
Low power dissipation

Typical values of MOSFET parameters!

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

Typical Values of BJT/MOSFET Parameters

To pack more transistors on a chip, the trend is to reduce the

minimum allowable channel length.

Magnitude of threshold voltage Vt has been decreasing with

decreasing length. Additionally VDD has been reduced from 5 volts
to 1.8 volts for newer technologies to keep power dissipation as low
as possible.

With submicron technologies, channel length modulation effect is

very pronounced. As a result VA has been steadily decreasing
which causes Early voltage VA = VAL to become very small so
short-channel MOSFETs exhibit low output resistance.

Because r0 = VA/ID

Two major MOSFET capacitances are Cgs and Cgd. We see that:
Shorter devices exhibit much higher operating speeds and wider
amplifier bandwidths.
EX: fT for 0.25 m NMOS transistor can be as high as 10 GHz.

contd!
ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

Typical Values of BJT/MOSFET Parameters

Till date (2003), the major drawback of standard bipolar

integrated circuit fabrication process has been the lack of
pnp transistors of a quality equal to that of npn devices.

is lower for pnp transistors

And pnp transistors have much larger forward transit time F .

And transit time F determines the emitter-base diffusion
capacitance Cde and hence the transistor speed of operation.

Comparison of important characteristics!

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

Comparison of Important Characteristics

MOSFET

id
v gs

ID =

BJT

Induce a channel vGS > vt where

vt = 0.5 to 0.7 V
vDS > vGS vt
i v characteristics
iG = 0
Input resistance (CS) is infinite
Transconductance
gm =

= k n

W
VGS Vt
L

W
1
k n
VGS Vt
2
L

) or

(V

2 ID

GS

DS

gm =

) 1 + VV
2

Forward-bias EBJ vBE >vBEon

where vBEon = 0.5 V
Reverse-bias CBJ
i v characteristics
iB = iC/
Input resistance (CE) r = /gm
Transconductance gm=Ic/VT

Vt

where 1/VA = process-technology parameter

Low/High Frequency Models!

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

Low/High Frequency Models

ig = 0

id
+

vgs
_

gmvgs

ro

vo
gmv

ro

is
Cgd

+
Vgs

Cgs

gmVgs

rx

ro

gmV

ro

The frequency at which magnitude of hfe drops to unity is called unity-gain bandwidth wT.

fT is called unity-gain frequency or transition frequency.

fT is 10 to 20 GHz for npn and 5 to 15 GHz for NMOS.

The high-frequency response of IC amplifiers is limited by the transistor internal
capacitances, mainly Cgs and Cgd in the MOSFET and C and C in the BJT.

The IC Biasing & MOSFET Current Mirror/Source!

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

Biasing Using a Current Source

Vcc

Consider the following circuit:

The BJT can be biased using a

constant current source I.
It has the advantage that the emitter
RB
current is independent of and RB.
Thus RB can be made large, enabling
an increase in the input resistance at
the base without adversely affecting
bias stability.

Rc

8k

= 100

100 k
1 mA

vO
RL

5k

- 10 V

Implementation of constant current source?

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

10

Biasing Using a Current Source : The Circuit

Q1 and Q2 are matched transistors.

Assuming high , and small value of
base current, the current through Iref
will be:
Iref = {VCC (- VEE) VBE} / R

Vcc
Iref

Since VBE is same so collector currents

of Q1 and Q2 will be the same.
So

Q1

+
_

Q2
VBE

I = Iref = {VCC + VEE VBE} / R

- VEE

This is known as a current mirror.

Implementation!

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

Biasing using a current source : implementation

11

Vcc
Rc

8k

+
vO

= 100
RB

100 k
1 mA

RL

5k
_

- 10 V

Vcc
Iref

Q1

Q2

+
_

VBE

- VEE

The IC Biasing & MOSFET Current Mirror/Source!

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

12

The IC Biasing & MOSFET Current Mirror/Source

Biasing in IC design is based on the use of constantcurrent sources.

Now:

Also:

And:
Then:

1
k n
2

W
VGS Vt
L 1

I D1 = I ref =
Io = I D2 =
Io
I ref

(V

DD

VGS
R

)
(

1 W
k n VGS Vt
2 L 2

W

L
= 2
W

L 1

VDD
R

IRef

Io

ID1

D
Q1

I o = I ref

G
G

I D1 =

VGS

D
Q2
S

For identical transistors:

Because the circuit replicates or mirrors the reference current, it is given the name of
current mirror.

A constant dc current (called reference current) is generated at one location and then
replicated at various other locations through a process called current steering.

Usually a precision resistor external to the chip is used for generating the reference
current.
MOS Current Steering Circuits!

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

13

MOS Current Steering Circuits

The circuit:

VDD +

VDD

IRef

Q4

I2

Q5

I5

Current Sink

Q1

VSG5

I3

I4

Current Source

Q3

Q2

VGS1

Q1 and R determine ref

current Iref.

Q1, Q2 & Q3 form a twoport current- mirror

where:

W

L 2
I 2 = I ref
W

L 1

- VSS

and

W

L 3
I3 = I ref
W

L 1

For saturation region operation, the voltages at the drains of Q2 and Q3 are constrained as
follows:

vD2, vD3 = - vSS + vGS1 - vtn

The CS Circuit With Active Load!

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

14

The CS Circuit with Active Load

vDD
The most basic IC MOS amplifier is:-

vo

vi

The drain resistance RD has been replaced by a constant current source I.

Because this current source load can be implemented using a PMOS

transistor, it is called an active-load and the amplifier is said to be activeloaded.

The small signal analysis of the amplifier is:-

For the CS amplifier,

Ri = , Avo = - gmro and Ro = r0

vgs

gmvgs

ro

The magnitude of Avo is the maximum gain available

from a CS amplifier and is called the intrinsic gain,
Ao = gmro

The active-loaded CE Circuit!

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

15

The Active-Loaded CE Circuit

vCC

The circuit is :-

I
vi

vo

To keep analysis simple, the bias network is not shown.

The small signal analysis of the amplifier is:-

For the CE amplifier,

Ri = r
Avo = - gmro and

vi

Ro = r0

+
_

gmv

ro v o

The magnitude of Avo is the maximum gain

available from a CE amplifier and is called
the intrinsic gain,
Ao = gmro

High-Frequency Response of the CS & CE Amplifier!

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

The MOSFET internal capacitances

There will be five capacitances in total namely: Cgs , Cgd ,Cgb , Csb, and Cdb

It can be shown that :

Cgs = Cgd =1/2 WLCox

(triode region)

Cgs = 2/3 WLCox and Cgd = 0

(saturation region)

16

Cgs = Cgd = 0 and Cgb = WLCox (cut-off region)

Another small capacitance that should be added to Cgs and Cgd is the capacitance that results from the
fact that the source and drain diffusions extend slightly under the gate oxide.

If overlap length is denoted by Lov, the overlap capacitance Cov = WLovCox (typically Lov = 0.05 to 0.1 L)

The junction capacitances are given by:

Csb =

Csbo
VSB
1+
Vo

and

Cdb =

Cdbo
V
1 + DB
Vo

Where Csbo = value of Csb at zero-body source bias, VSB is equal to magnitude of
reverse bias voltage. Vo is equal to junction built in voltage of 0.6 to 0.8 volts.

contd.

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

17

The MOSFET internal capacitances contd

So the high frequency response of the MOSFET amplifier can be predicted by

the model:

Cgd

G
+
Vgs

Cgs

gmVgs

ro

_
vbs

_
S

gmbVbs

Cdb

Csb
B

Due to its complexity, such models are limited to computer simulation.

contd.

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

The MOSFET internal capacitances contd

18

(Source and body connected)

G
Vgs

Cgd
Cgs

gmVgs

gmbVbs

ro

Cdb

Csb

_
S

Cgd

G
+
Vgs

Cgs

D
gmVgs

ro

Cdb

_
S
ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

The MOSFET internal capacitances contd

19

(Source and body connected: with Cdb neglected)

Cgd

G
+
Vgs

Cgs

D
gmVgs

ro

_
S

This is the commonly used high frequency model of the MOSFET.

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

The MOSFET internal capacitances contd

20

Vo/vin (dB)
Mid band

LF band

HF band

Gain falls due to

CC!, CC2,CS

Gain falls due to

Cgs, Cgd

fH

fL

ELECTRONICS II BE(EE) 3 AB

f (Hz)