CASCODE STAGE

SYAMIMI BT MOHD NAZRI

1938833007
MSc(EE) Semester 1
◦ As explained in Chapter 3, cascoding proves beneficial in increasing the voltage gain
of amplifiers and the output impedance of current sources while providing shielding
as well.

◦ The invention of the cascode (in the vacuum tube era), however, was motivated by
the need for high frequency amplifiers with relatively high input impedance.

◦ Viewed as a cascade of common-source stage and a common-gate stage, a cascode

circuit offers the speed of the latter-by suppressing the Miller effect-and the input
impedance of the former.
 1. Identify all of the device
capacitance
• 𝐶𝐺𝑆1 is connected to ground
• 𝐶𝐺𝐷1 to node X
• 𝐶𝐷𝐵1 , 𝐶𝑆𝐵1 and 𝐶𝐺𝑆2 are tied to
ground at node X
• 𝐶𝐷𝐵2 , 𝐶𝐺𝐷2 , and 𝐶𝐿 are
connected to ground node 𝑌

2. The Miller effect of 𝐶𝐺𝐷1 is determined by the gain from A to X

◦ As an approximation, we use the low-frequency value of this gain, which for low values of
𝑔𝑚1
𝑅𝐷 (or negligible channel-length modulation) is equal to − .
(𝑔𝑚1 +𝑔𝑚𝑏2 )

◦ Thus, if 𝑀1 and 𝑀2 have roughly equal dimensions, 𝐶𝐺𝐷1 is multiplied by approximately 2

rather the large voltage gain in a simple common-source stage.

◦ We therefore say Miller effect is less significant in cascode amplifiers than in common-
source stages.

◦ The pole associated with node A is estimated as

◦ At node X, the total capacitance is roughly equal to 2𝐶𝐺𝐷1 + 𝐶𝐷𝐵1 + 𝐶𝑆𝐵2 +
𝐶𝐺𝑆2 , giving a pole:
◦ Finally, output node yields a third pole:

◦ The relative magnitudes of the three poles in a cascode circuit depend on the
actual design parameters, but 𝜔𝑝,𝛾 is typically chosen to be farther from the
origin than the other two.
 (𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝐶𝛾 𝑠−𝐼𝑖𝑛 )
◦ Since the current through 𝐶𝑋 is equal to −𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝐶𝛾 𝑠 − 𝐼𝑖𝑛 , we have 𝑉𝑥 = − , and the small-signal drain current
𝐶𝑋 𝑠
−𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝐶𝛾 𝑠−𝐼𝑖𝑛
of 𝑀2 is −𝑔𝑚2 𝐶𝑋 𝑠
(𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝐶𝛾 𝑠+𝐼𝑖𝑛 )
◦ The current through 𝑟𝑜2 is then equal to −𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝐶𝛾 𝑠 − 𝑔𝑚2 . Noting that 𝑉𝑥 plus the voltage drop across 𝑟𝑜2 is
𝐶𝑋 𝑠
equal to 𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 , we write

◦ That is,
 𝐶𝛾
◦ Which, for 𝑔𝑚2 𝑟𝑜2 »1and 𝑔𝑚2 𝑟𝑜2 𝐶 »1 (i. e. , 𝐶𝛾 > 𝐶𝑋 ), reduces to
𝑋

◦ and hence

𝑔
◦ The magnitude of the pole at node X is still given by 𝐶𝑚2. This is because at high frequencies (as we approach this pole),
𝑋
𝐶𝛾 shunts the output node, dropping the gain and suppressing the Miller effect of𝑟𝑜2 .
◦ If a cascode structure is used as a current source, then the variation of its output impedance with frequency is of interest.
Neglecting 𝐶𝐺𝐷1 and 𝐶𝛾 in Figure 6.26(a), we have

where 𝑍𝑥 = 𝑟𝑜1 ll(𝐶𝑥 )−1.

◦ Thus, 𝑍𝑜𝑢𝑡 contains a pole at (𝑟𝑜1 𝐶𝑥 )−1 and falls at frequencies higher than this value.