CURRENT SOURCES AND

CURRENT MIRRORS
11 May 2015

Adonis S. Santos, ECE

First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities

INTRODUCTION
Gain is limited by the output resistance.
The type of load greatly affect the output
resistance.
Intrinsic gain

How are current sources

implemented?

IDEAL VS. REAL CURRENT SOURCE

MOS AS CURRENT SOURCE

M2 acts as a current
source if operated in
saturation.

Vbias affects swing and

current.
2
2 =

2 2

MOS AS CURRENT SOURCE

Bias voltage taken as a voltage
divider.

2
=

1 + 2

2
2 =
2 2

2

1 + 2

Current dependency to resistance.

BASIC CURRENT MIRROR

Implement R1 and R2 as diode connected MOS.
When VDS > VTH, transistor will always be in
saturation.

BIPOLAR

MOS

>

BASIC CURRENT MIRROR

Diode-connected device
providing inverse
function.

=
2

2(1 + )

=
2

Neglecting channel length modulation or when VDS = Vout

2
1

2(1 + )

EXERCISE 1
Determine Iout given the following.
IREF = 650uA

kp = 180 cm2/V-s

(W/L)1 = 5

= 0.05

(W/L)2 = 20

VTH = 700mV

VDD = 3V
Vout = 1V

END OF LECTURE
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Differential Amplifier Stage