11/5/2004 MOSFET Output Resistance.

doc 1/2

MOSFET Output
Resistance
Recall that due to channel-length modulation, the MOSFET
drain current is slightly dependent on vDS , and thus is more
accurately described as:

iD = K (vGS −Vt ) (1 + λ vDS )

2

In order to determine the relationship between the small-signal

voltage v gs and small-signal current id we can apply a small-
signal analysis of this equation:

d iD
id = v gs
d vGS vGS =VGS

= 2K (vGS −Vt ) v gs
vGS =VGS

= 2K (VGS −Vt )v gs
= gm v gs

Note that we evaluated the derivative at the DC bias point VGS.

The result, as we expected, was the transconductance gm.

We can likewise determine the relationship between small-signal

voltage vds and the small-signal current id :

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

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d iD
id = vds
dvDS vGS =VGS

= λK (vGS −Vt )
2
vds
vGS =VGS

= λK (VGS −Vt ) vds

2

vds
=
ro

where ro is defined as the MOSFET output resistance:

1
ro =
λK (VGS −Vt )
2

1
=
λ ID

The small signal drain current id of a MOSFET( biased at a DC

operating point ID ,VGS ) is therefore:

vds
id = gm v gs +
ro

where:

gm = 2K (VGS −Vt )

1
ro =
λK (VGS −Vt )
2

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS