Fundamentals of Microelectronics

CH1
CH2
CH3
CH4
CH5
CH6
CH7
CH8

Why Microelectronics?
Basic Physics of Semiconductors
Diode Circuits
Physics of Bipolar Transistors
Bipolar Amplifiers
Physics of MOS Transistors
CMOS Amplifiers
Operational Amplifier As A Black Box

Chapter 7

CMOS Amplifiers

7.1 General Considerations

7.2 Common-Source Stage
7.3 Common-Gate Stage
7.4 Source Follower
7.5 Summary and Additional Examples

Chapter Outline

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

MOS Biasing

R2VDD

VGS V1 VTH V 2V1

VTH
R1 R2

2
1

1
V1
W
nCox RS
L

Voltage at X is determined by VDD, R1, and R2.

VGS can be found using the equation above, and ID can be
found by using the NMOS current equation.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

Self-Biased MOS Stage

I D RD VGS RS I D VDD

The circuit above is analyzed by noting M1 is in saturation

and no potential drop appears across RG.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

Current Sources

When in saturation region, a MOSFET behaves as a current

source.
NMOS draws current from a point to ground (sinks current),
whereas PMOS draws current from V DD to a point (sources
current).
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

Common-Source Stage

0
Av g m RD
W
Av 2 n Cox I D RD
L
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

Operation in Saturation

RD I D VDD VGS VTH

In order to maintain operation in saturation, V out cannot fall

below Vin by more than one threshold voltage.
The condition above ensures operation in saturation.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

CS Stage with =0

Av g m RL
Rin
Rout RL
9

CS Stage with 0

Av g m RL || rO
Rin
Rout RL || rO
However, Early effect and channel length modulation affect
CE and CS stages in a similar manner.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

10

CS Gain Variation with Channel Length

W
2 nCox
2 nCoxWL
L
Av

ID
ID
Since is inversely proportional to L, the voltage gain
actually becomes proportional to the square root of L.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

11

CS Stage with Current-Source Load

Av g m1 rO1 || rO 2
Rout rO1 || rO 2
To alleviate the headroom problem, an active current-source
load is used.
This is advantageous because a current-source has a high
output resistance and can tolerate a small voltage drop
across it.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

12

PMOS CS Stage with NMOS as Load

Av g m 2 (rO1 || rO 2 )

Similarly, with PMOS as input stage and NMOS as the load,

the voltage gain is the same as before.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

13

CS Stage with Diode-Connected Load

W / L1
Av g m1

gm2
W / L 2
1

Av g m1
|| rO 2 || rO1
gm2

Lower gain, but less dependent on process parameters.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

14

CS Stage with Diode-Connected PMOS Device

Av g m 2
|| ro1 || ro 2
g m1

Note that PMOS circuit symbol is usually drawn with the

source on top of the drain.

15

CS Stage with Degeneration

Av

RD
1
RS
gm

0
Similar to bipolar counterpart, when a CS stage is
degenerated, its gain, I/O impedances, and linearity change.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

16

Example of CS Stage with Degeneration

Av

RD

1
1

g m1 g m 2

A diode-connected device degenerates a CS stage.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

17

CS Stage with Gate Resistance

VR 0
G

Since at low frequencies, the gate conducts no current,

gate resistance does not affect the gain or I/O impedances.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

18

Output Impedance of CS Stage with Degeneration

rout g m rO RS rO

Similar to the bipolar counterpart, degeneration boosts

output impedance.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

19

Output Impedance Example (I)

1
1

Rout rO1 1 g m1
gm2 gm2

When 1/gm is parallel with rO2, we often just consider 1/gm.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

20

Output Impedance Example (II)

Rout g m1rO1rO 2 rO1

In this example, the impedance that degenerates the CS
stage is rO, instead of 1/gm in the previous example.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

21

CS Core with Biasing

R1 || R2
RD
R1 || R2
Av

, Av
gm R D
RG R1 || R2 1 R
RG R1 || R2
S
gm
Degeneration is used to stabilize bias point, and a bypass
capacitor can be used to obtain a larger small-signal
voltage gain at the frequency of interest.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

22

Common-Gate Stage

Av g m RD

Common-gate stage is similar to common-base stage: a rise

in input causes a rise in output. So the gain is positive.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

23

Signal Levels in CG Stage

In order to maintain M1 in saturation, the signal swing at Vout

cannot fall below Vb-VTH.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

24

I/O Impedances of CG Stage

1
Rin
gm

Rout RD

The input and output impedances of CG stage are similar

to those of CB stage.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

25

CG Stage with Source Resistance

Av

RD
1
RS
gm

When a source resistance is present, the voltage gain is

equal to that of a CS stage with degeneration, only positive.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

26

Generalized CG Behavior

Rout 1 g m rO RS rO
When a gate resistance is present it does not affect the gain
and I/O impedances since there is no potential drop across it
( at low frequencies).
The output impedance of a CG stage with source resistance
is identical to that of CS stage with degeneration.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

27

Example of CG Stage

vout
g m1 RD

vin 1 g m1 g m 2 RS

Rout g m1rO1
|| RS rO1 || RD
gm2

Diode-connected M2 acts as a resistor to provide the bias

current.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

28

CG Stage with Biasing

vout
R3 || 1 / g m

g m RD
vin R3 || 1 / g m RS

R1 and R2 provide gate bias voltage, and R3 provides a path

for DC bias current of M1 to flow to ground.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

29

Source Follower Stage

Av 1

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

30

Source Follower Core

vout
rO || RL

vin 1 r || R
O
L
gm
Similar to the emitter follower, the source follower can be
analyzed as a resistor divider.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

31

Source Follower Example

Av

rO1 || rO 2

1
rO1 || rO 2
g m1

In this example, M2 acts as a current source.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

32

Output Resistance of Source Follower

1
1
Rout || rO || RL || RL
gm
gm
The output impedance of a source follower is relatively low,
whereas the input impedance is infinite ( at low
frequencies); thus, a good candidate as a buffer.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

33

Source Follower with Biasing

1
W
2
I D nCox VDD I D RS VTH
2
L

RG sets the gate voltage to VDD, whereas RS sets the drain

current.
The quadratic equation above can be solved for ID.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

34

Supply-Independent Biasing

If Rs is replaced by a current source, drain current ID

becomes independent of supply voltage.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

35

Example of a CS Stage (I)

Av g m1
|| rO1 || rO 2 || rO 3
g m3

1
Rout
|| rO1 || rO 2 || rO 3
g m3
M1 acts as the input device and M2, M3 as the load.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

36

Example of a CS Stage (II)

rO 2
Av
1
1

|| rO 3
g m1 g m3
M1 acts as the input device, M3 as the source resistance,
and M2 as the load.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

37

Examples of CS and CG Stages

Av _ CS g m 2 (1 g m1rO1 ) RS rO1 || rO1

Av _ CG

rO 2

1
RS
gm

With the input connected to different locations, the two

circuits, although identical in other aspects, behave
differently.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

38

Example of a Composite Stage (I)

Av

RD

1
1

g m1 g m 2

By replacing the left side with a Thevenin equivalent, and

recognizing the right side is actually a CG stage, the
voltage gain can be easily obtained.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

39

Example of a Composite Stage (II)

vout 2
vin

1
|| rO 3 || rO 4
g m3

1
1
|| rO 2
gm2
g m1

This example shows that by probing different places in a

circuit, different types of output can be obtained.
Vout1 is a result of M 1 acting as a source follower whereas V out2
is a result of M1 acting as a CS stage with degeneration.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers

40