Lecture 25

Multistage Amplifiers (II)

DC VOLTAGE AND CURRENT SOURCES

Outline

1. DC Voltage Sources
2. DC Current Sources and Sinks

Reading Assignment:
Howe and Sodini, Chapter 9, Sections 9-3-9.4

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 25 1

 1. DC Voltage Sources
Characteristics of DC Voltage Sources :

A well controlled output voltage

Output voltage does not depend on current drawn
from source Low Thevenin Resistance

Consider a MOSFET connected in diode configuration

I-V characteristics:

n Cox (VGS VTn ) = n Cox (VDS VTn )

W W
ID =
2 2

2L 2L

Beyond the threshold voltage, the MOSFET looks like a

diode with quadratic I-V characteristics

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 25 2

 How does one synthesize a voltage source with this?
Assume a current source is available

VGS = VDS takes a value needed to sink current

W
nC ox (vOUT VTn )
2
i D = I REF + iOUT =
2L
Then:
W
n Cox (v OUT VTn ) I REF
2
iOUT =
2L
Solving for vOUT:
I REF + iOUT
vOUT = VTn + W
n Cox
2L
6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 25 3
 Synthesizing Voltage Sources (contd.)
vOUT is a function of IREF and W/L of MOSFET:

IREF vOUT
W/L vOUT

Small Signal Equivalent Circuit Model:

1 1
Rout = || ro
gm gm
Rout is small (good!)
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 PMOS voltage source

Same operation and characteristics as NMOS voltage

source. PMOS needs to be larger to attain the same Rout.

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 25 5

 3. DC Current Sources and Sinks
Characteristics of Current Sources

A well controlled output current

Supplied current does not depend on output voltage
High Norton Resistance
Connect a voltage source to the gate of another MOSFET:
1 W
IOUT nCox (VREF VTn )
2
2 L 2
1 W
I REF n Cox (VREF VTn )
2
2 L 1

W

L 2
Then: I OUT = I REF
W

L 1
IOUT scales with IREF by W/L ratios of two MOSFETs
Current Mirror Circuit

Well matched transistors important.

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 DC Current Sources and Sinks (contd.)
Small Signal Equivalent Circuit Model:

Rout 2 = ro2
I-V characteristics of NMOS current source:

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 PMOS Current Source

NMOS current source sinks current to ground

PMOS current source sources current from positive
supply

PMOS Current Mirror:

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 3. Multiple Current Sources
Since there is no DC gate current in MOSFET, we can
tie up multiple current mirrors to single current source:

W

L n
I OUTn = I REF
W

LR
Similar idea with NMOS current sinks:

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 25 9

 Multiple Current Sources and Sinks
Often, in a given circuit, we need current sources and
sinks. We can build them all out of a single current
source.

W W

L 1 L2
I OUT1 = I REF I OUT2 = I REF
W W

LR LR
W W W

L4 L 4 L 1
I OUT4 = I OUT1 = I REF
W W W

L 3 L 3 L R
6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 25 10
 Generating IREF
Simple circuit:

VDD VOUT
I REF =
R

I REF
VOUT = VTn + W
nCox
2L

VDD VTn
For large W/L: I REF
R
Advantages
IREF set by value of resistor
Disadvantages
VDD also affects IREF.
VTn and R are functions of temperature IREF(T).

In the real world, more sophisticated circuits are used to

generate IREF that are VDD and T independent.

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 What did we learn today?

Summary of Key Concepts

Voltage source easily synthesized from reference

current source using MOSFET in diode configuration
Current source easily synthesized from current
source using current mirror circuit.
Multiple current sources and sinks with different
magnitudes can be synthesized from a single current
source.
Voltage and current sources rely on the availability of
well matched transistors in IC technology.

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 25 12