6.

012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-1

Lecture 25 - Dierential Ampliers (I) May 13, 2003

Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Incremental analysis of dierential amplier 3. Common-source dierential amplier Reading assignment: Howe and Sodini, Ch. 11, 11.1-11.3 Announcement: Final exam: May 23, 1:30-4:30 PM, Walker; open book, calculator required; entire subject under examination but emphasis on lectures #18-26.

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-2

Key questions How can one design an amplier that is insensitive to uctuations in device parameters and power supply noise? What are the key gures of merit of a dierential amplier? Is there an ecient way to analyze a dierential amplier?

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-3

1. Introduction Three problems in single-transistor amplier stages: Bias and gain sensitive to device parameters (Cox, VT ); sensitivity can be mitigated but often paying price in performance or cost (gain, power, device area, etc.) Vulnerable to ground and power-supply noise (in dense ICs there is cross-talk, 60 Hz coupling, substrate noise, etc.) Many signal sources exhibit common-mode drift that gets amplied.
VDD

+ vIN VSS

+ vOUT -

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-4

Solution: represent signal by dierence between two voltages:

+ vI -

+ vO -

VSS

Dierential amplier: amplies dierence between two voltages rejects components common to both voltages

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-5

2 Basic conguration of MOSFET di. amp.:

RD

i1

i2

RD

+ vO + + vO1 vO2 - M1 M2 + vI1 IBIAS + vI2

VSS

vO responds to dierence of vI s if vI 1 = vI 2 symmetry vO1 = vO2 vO = 0 if vI 1 > vI 2 M1 more ON than M2 i1 > i2 vO1 < vO2 vO < 0 vO insensitive to common mode: if both vO1 and vO2 move in sync, symmetry preserved vO unchanged if ground, VDD , or VSS have noise, symmetry preserved vO unchanged if VT or Cox change, symmetry preserved vO unchanged need precise device matching

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-6

2 Dierential-mode and common-mode signals:

vI2 vID 2

vO2

+ vIC -

Distinguish between common mode and dierential mode: vI 1 = vIC + Then: vID = vI 1 vI 2, Similarly at output: vOD vO1 = vOC + , 2 Then: vOD = vO1 vO2 vOC vO 1 + vO 2 = 2 vO 2 vOD = vOC 2 vIC = vI 1 + vI 2 2 vID , 2 vI 2 = vIC vID 2

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-7

2. Incremental analysis of dierential amplier Consider generic dierential amplier:

+ + vo1 -

vod

- + vo2

Figures of merit of interest: Dierential-mode voltage gain (want high): adm vod = vid

Common-mode voltage gain (want small): adc = voc vic

Common-mode rejection ratio (want very high): adm CM RR = acm

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-8

Two steps to simplify solution of problem: 1. Use superposition and break into two problems:
common mode + vic + vic + vid 2 differential mode + vid 2

2. Exploit symmetry: break circuit into two half circuits

axis of symmetry

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-9

a) Dierential-mode analysis:

vid 2

+ half circuit + vo1 + vo2 half circuit

vid 2

No voltage relative to ground along axis of symmetry circuit identical to:

vid 2

+ half circuit + vo1 + vo2 half circuit

vid 2

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-10

Need only solve:

vid 2

Dierential-mode voltage gain: adm In dierential mode: vid vi1 = vi2 = 2 vo 1 = vo 2 Then: 2vo1 vo1 = vid adm = vid 2 vod vo1 vo2 = = vid vi1 vi2

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-11

b) Common-mode analysis:
i=0 + vic + vo1 + vo2 half circuit half circuit + vic

no current across

No current across wires connecting two half circuits circuit identical to:

i=0 + vic + vo1 + vo2 half circuit half circuit + vic

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-12

Need only solve:

Common-mode voltage gain: acm In common mode, vo 1 = vo 2 Then: acm = vo 1 vic voc = = vic
vo1+vo2 2

vic

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-13

3. Common-source dierential amplier (source-coupled pair)

RD

i1

i2

RD

+ vO + + vO1 vO2 - M1 M2 + vI1 IBIAS + vI2

VSS

2 Biasing issues: must keep MOSFETs in saturation Upper limit to VI 1 and VI 2: M1 and M2 driven into linear regime: VIC,max = VO1 + VT = VT + VDD RD IBIAS 2

Lower limit to VI 1 and VI 2: set by circuit that implements IBIAS

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-14

2 Small-signal equivalent circuit model:

vgs1
-

gm1vgs1

RD vo1
-

vo2
-

RD

gm2vgs2

vgs2
-

vi1 rob
-

vi2

split resistor in two 2rob 2rob

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-15

Dierential-mode half circuit:

vgs1
-

gm1vgs1

RD

vo1
incremental ground for differential gain

vid 2 2rob
-

vid v o 1 = g m1 R D 2 Then dierential-mode gain: adm = vo 1

= g m1 R D

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-16

Common-mode half circuit:

vgs1
-

gm1vgs1

RD

vo1
incremental open for common-mode gain

vic 2rob
-

vo 1 =

g m1 R D vic 1 + 2gm1rob

Then common-mode gain: acm = vo 1 g m1 R D = vic 1 + 2gm1rob

Common-mode rejection ratio: CM RR = adm g m1 R D = gm1 RD = 1 + 2gm1 rob acm 1+2g r m1

To get good CM RR, need good current source.

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-17

Key for common-mode rejection: rob must be as high as possible

RD

i1

i2

RD

+ vO + + vO1 vO2 - M1 M2 + vI1 IBIAS + vI2

VSS

The higher rob, the smaller the change in IBIAS in response to a common-mode signal the smaller the change in v01 and vo2.

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Spring 2003

Lecture 25-18

Key conclusions In dierential ampliers signal represented by dierence between two voltages. Dierential amplier: amplies dierence between two voltages but rejects common mode noise immunity. Using half-circuit technique, small-signal operation of dierential ampliers is analized by breaking problem into two simpler ones: dierential-mode problem and common-mode problem. Common-mode rejection ratio: important gure of merit of dierential ampliers. Dierential ampliers require good device matching.