6.

Cascode Amplifiers and

Cascode Current Mirrors

Sedra & Smith Sec. 7 (MOS portion)

(S&S 5th Ed: Sec. 6 MOS portion & ignore frequency
response)

ECE 102, Fall 2012, F. Najmabadi

 Cascode amplifier
is a popular building block of ICs

Cascode Configuration Signal circuit: Current source

becomes an open circuit
bias
signal
CG stage

I D1 = I D 2
CS stage

Cascode amplifier is a two-stage, CS-CG configuration

F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (2/17)
 Small Signal Model of a Cascode Amplifier
Small Signal Model
CG stage

CS stage
Lengthy analysis to find Av (and a complicated equation). Simpler to compute open-loop gain (Avo)
and Ro.
Text book introduces Gm method to find Avo (See S&S Sec. 1)
Here will find Avo directly from the small signal model.
However, the solution of and insight into Cascode amplifiers are best obtained using fundamental
MOS configurations!

Note that Avo and Ro calculated here are meant to find Av and guide the choice of the
active load. Avo and Ro should be re-calculated for a practical circuit (see slides 14 & 15)
F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (3/17)
 Open-Loop gain of a Cascode amplifier
(using small signal model)
Open Loop Gain
(RL , io = 0):

By KCL around Q2

Node Voltage Method:

vo v1
Node vo: g m 2 v1 = 0 vo = (1 + g m 2 ro 2 ) v1
ro 2
v1
Node v1: + g m1vi + 0 = 0 v1 = g m1ro1 vi
ro1
vo
Avo = = g m1ro1 (1 + g m 2 ro 2 ) g m1ro1 g m 2 ro 2
vi

F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (4/17)

 Output Resistance of a Cascode amplifier
(using small signal model)
Set vi = 0, attach a voltage source vx ,
compute ix, Ro = vx / ix

vi = vgs1 = 0 gm1 vgs1 current source becomes open circuit By KCL around Q2

KVL : vgs 2 = ix ro1

KCL : i2 = ix g m 2 vgs 2 = ix + ix g m 2 ro1 = ix (1 + g m 2 ro1 )
vx
KVL : vx = i2 ro 2 + ix ro1 = ix (1 + g m 2 ro1 )ro 2 + ix ro1 Ro = = ro1 + ro 2 + g m 2 ro1 ro 2
ix
vx = ix [(1 + g m 2 ro1 )ro 2 + ro1 ]
RL + Ro
Note: Av = Avo
RL
F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (5/17)
 Gain of a Cascode Amplifier
(using MOS Fundamental Configurations)
Cascode (signal circuit) CG stage CS stage

Av 2 = vo / v1 g m 2 (ro 2 || RL ) Av1 = v1 / vi = g m1 (ro1 || Ri 2 )

CG stages reduces the load ro 2 + RL

RL1 = Ri 2 =
seen by the CS stage by gm2ro2 1 + g m 2 ro 2
Av = vo / vi = Av1 Av 2 = g m1 g m 2 (ro1 || Ri 2 ) (ro 2 || RL )

ro 2 + RL
Note: Open Loop Gain: (RL ) RL1 = Ri 2 = = Avo = g m1ro1 g m 2 ro 2
1 + g m 2 ro 2
F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (6/17-)
 Output Resistance of a Cascode amplifier
(from Elementary R forms)

= ro (1 + g m R ) + R

Ro = ro 2 (1 + g m 2 ro1 ) + ro1

Ro = ro1 + ro 2 + g m 2 ro1 ro 2
Ro = ro 2 (1 + g m 2 ro1 ) + ro1
Ro g m 2 ro 2 ro1 + ro1 = ro1 (1 + g m 2 ro 2 )
Ro g m 2 ro1 ro 2
F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (7/17)
 Cascode Amplifier needs a large load
ro 2 + RL
Av 2 = g m 2 (ro 2 || RL ) RL1 = Ri 2 = Av1 = g m1 (ro1 || Ri 2 ) Ro g m 2 ro1 ro 2
1 + g m 2 ro 2

For simplicity assume ro1 = ro2 = ro and gm1 = gm2 = gm

RL Av2(CG) Ri2 = RL1 Av1 (CS) Av= Av1 Av2

gmro gmro (gmro)2 Max. Gain

Practical
(gmro) ro = Ro gmro ro 0.5gmro 0.5(gmro)2
Gain
Same gain
ro 0.5 gmro 2/gm 2 gmro as a single
CS Amp.

For comparison, a two-stage CS-amplifier (CS-CS) has a gain of 0.5 (gmro)2 for
RL = ro and a gain of (gmro)2 for RL = gmro2.
o Cascode amplifier needs a large load (RL = gmro2 ).
F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (8/17)
 Cascode amplifier needs a large load to
get a high gain

Current RL = ro3
Mirror
Av gmro

Gain did not increase compared to a CS

amplifier.
Cascode
This is still a useful circuit because of its
high gain-bandwidth (we see this later).
To get a high gain, Av = 0.5(gmro)2 ,
we need to increase the small-signal
resistance of the current mirror to
(gmro) ro
o Cascode current mirror

F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (9/17)

 Cascode Current mirror

Identical MOS: Same Cox and Vt , &

(W / L) 4 (W / L) 2
=
o vGS1 = vGS2 & vGS3 = vGS4 (W / L) 3 (W / L)1

Usually: (W/L)1 = (W/L)3 and (W/L)2 = (W/L)4

o vGS1 = vGS2 = vGS3 = vGS4 = vGS

Q1 and Q3 are always in saturation

Q2 and Q4 both have to be in saturation for current mirror to
work
o VDS2 > VGS Vt
o VDS4 > VGS Vt
(W / L) 2
Straight forward to show Io = I ref
(W / L)1

Exercise: Show that a single current mirror (no cascoding) works only if VD2 > VOV VSS
and a cascode current mirror requires VD4 > 2VOV VSS
F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (10/17)
 Small signal resistance of a cascode
current mirror is quite large
R = ro 4 (1 + g m 4 ro 2 ) + ro 2

Transistor numbering is different in different circuits

Be careful in applying formulas!
It is best to use elementary R forms to find R instead of formula above.
F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (11/17)
 PMOS cascode current mirror is similar to
NMOS version
NMOS Cascode current mirror PMOS Cascode current mirror

F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (12/17)

 Cascode amplifier with a
cascode current mirror/active load
Bias

Cascode
current mirror

Signal

Cascode
amplifier

I D1 = I D 2 = I D 3 = I D 4

Exercise: Draw the circuit for a PMOS cascode with a cascode current
F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (13/17) mirror (cascode current mirror would be made of NMOS).
 Gain of a Cascode amplifier with a
cascode current mirror/active load
Value for the same
Q2 (CG Amp) gm and ro
Av 2 = vo / v1 g m 2 (ro 2 || RL ) g m 2 ro 2 Av 2 g m ro
Cascode
current mirror ro 2 + ro 3 (1 + g m 3 ro 4 ) + ro 4
RL1 = Ri 2 =
1 + g m 2 ro 2
ro 3 (1 + g m 3ro 4 ) + ro 4 g m 3 ro 3 ro 4
RL1 = Ri 2 ro
g m 2 ro 2
Q1 (CS Amp)
Cascode
amplifier v1 Ri 2 g m 3 ro 3 ro 4
Av1 = v1 / vi = g m1 (ro1 || ) Av1 = 0.5 g m ro
g m 2 ro 2
g m1 g m 2 g m 3 ro1ro 2 ro 3 ro 4 Avo = 0.5 ( g m ro ) 2
Avo = Av1 Av 2 =
g m 2 ro1ro 2 + g m 3 ro 3 ro 4

F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (14/17)

 Output Resistance of a Cascode amplifier
with a cascode current mirror/active load
Value for the
same gm and ro
R1 = ro 3 (1 + g m 3 ro 4 ) + ro 4 R 1 g m ro2

R1 R 2 g m ro2
R 2 = ro 2 (1 + g m 2 ro1 ) + ro1
R2

Ro = R 1 || R 2 Ro = 0.5 g m ro2

F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (15/17)

 Why Cascode Amplifiers are popular?
Cascode Amp.
2-stage CS Amp.
Drawbacks:
Avo = 0.5 ( g m ro ) 2
While Avo are similar, Cascode has a very Avo = +0.25( g m ro ) 2
Ro = 0.5 g m ro2 Ro (M level). Ro = r o
o should be followed with a CS or CD
stage (infinite load for cascode)
o BJT cascodes are not useful.
Low voltage headroom (VDD across 4 MOS)
o Folded cascodes solve this.

Benefits:
Much better high-frequency response
(high gain-bandwidth).*
Simpler biasing.

F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (16/17) * We will see this later in our discussion of frequency response.
 Folded Cascode increases voltage overhead*
Bias Signal

CG stage
I2
I1 I2

I1 I2 I2

NMOS CS stage CS stage

Biased with I1 I2
PMOS CG stage
Biased with I2

* Folded cascode only helps the voltage overhead issue

F. Najmabadi, ECE102, Fall 2012 (17/17) for difference amplifiers (see S&S pages 999-1000)