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

1
Chapter Outline

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 2

MOS Biasing

 R2VDD 
VGS = −(V1 − VTH ) + V + 2V1 
2
− VTH 
 R1 + R2
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 3
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 4
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 VDD to a point (sources
current).
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 5
Common-Source Stage

 =0
Av = − g m RD
W
Av = − 2 n Cox I D RD
L
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 6
Operation in Saturation

RD I D  VDD − (VGS − VTH )

• In order to maintain operation in saturation, Vout cannot fall below

Vin by more than one threshold voltage.
• The condition above ensures operation in saturation.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 7
CS Stage with =0

Av = − g m RL
Rin = 
Rout = RL
8
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 9
CS Gain Variation with Channel Length

W
2 nCox
L 2 nCoxWL
Av = 
 ID ID

• Since  is inversely proportional to L, the voltage gain

actually becomes proportional to the square root of L.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 10
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 11
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 12
CS Stage with Diode-Connected Load

Av = − g m1 
1
=−
(W / L )1
gm2 (W / L )2
 1 
Av = − g m1  || rO 2 || rO1 
 gm2 
• Lower gain, but less dependent on process parameters.

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 13

CS Stage with Diode-Connected PMOS
Device

 1 
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.
14
CS Stage with Degeneration

RD
Av = −
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 15
Example of CS Stage with Degeneration

RD
Av = −
1 1
+
g m1 g m 2
• A diode-connected device degenerates a CS stage.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 16
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 17
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 18
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 19
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 20
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 21
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 22
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 23
I/O Impedances of CG Stage

 =0
1
Rin = Rout = RD
gm

• The input and output impedances of CG stage are

similar to those of CB stage.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 24
CG Stage with Source Resistance

RD
Av =
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 25
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 26
Example of CG Stage

vout g m1 RD   1  
= Rout   g m1rO1  || RS  + rO1  || RD
vin 1 + ( g m1 + g m 2 )RS   gm2  
• Diode-connected M2 acts as a resistor to provide the
bias current.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 27
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 28
Source Follower Stage

Av  1

CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 29

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 30
Source Follower Example

rO1 || rO 2
Av =
1
+ rO1 || rO 2
g m1
• In this example, M2 acts as a current source.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 31
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 32
Source Follower with Biasing

1 W
I D =  nCox (VDD − I D RS − VTH )
2

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 33
Supply-Independent Biasing

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

becomes independent of supply voltage.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 34
Example of a CS Stage (I)

 1 
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 35
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 36
Examples of CS and CG Stages

rO 2
Av _ CG =
Av _ CS = − g m 2 (1 + g m1rO1 ) RS + rO1  || rO1
1
+ RS
gm
• With the input connected to different locations, the two
circuits, although identical in other aspects, behave
differently.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 37
Example of a Composite Stage (I)

RD
Av =
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 38
Example of a Composite Stage (II)

1
|| rO 3 || rO 4
vout 2 g m3
=−
vin 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 M1 acting as a source follower whereas
Vout2 is a result of M1 acting as a CS stage with
degeneration.
CH7 CMOS Amplifiers 39