6.

012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­1

Lecture 24 ­ Frequency Response of

Amplifiers (II)

Open­Circuit Time­Constant Technique

December 6, 2005

Contents:

1. Open­circuit time­constant technique

2. Application of OCT to common­source amplifier
3. Frequency response of common­gate amplifier

Reading assignment:

Howe and Sodini, Ch. 10, §§10.4.4­10.4.5. 10.6

6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­2

Key questions

• Is there a fast way to assess the frequency response of

an amplifier?
• Do all amplifiers suffer from the Miller effect?
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­3

1. Open­Circuit Time­Constant Technique

Simple technique to estimate bandwidth of an amplifier.

Method works well if amplifier transfer function has:

• a dominant pole that dominates the bandwidth
• no zeroes, or zeroes at frequencies much higher than
that of dominant pole

Transfer function of form:

Vout Avo
=
Vs (1 + j ωω1 )(1 + j ωω2 )(1 + j ωω3 )...
with
ω1 � ω1 , ω2 , ω3, ...
log |Av|

Avo

-1

-2

ω1 ω2 log ω
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­4

Vout Avo
=
Vs (1 + j ωω1 )(1 + j ωω2 )(1 + j ωω3 )...

Multiply out the denominator:

Vout Avo
=
Vs 1 + jωb1 + (jω)2 b2 + (jω)3 b3...

where:

1 1 1
b1 = + + + ...
ω1 ω2 ω3

If there is a dominant pole, the low frequency behavior

well described by:

Vout Avo Avo

� =
Vs 1 + jωb1 1 + j ωωH

Bandwidth then:

1
ωH �
b1
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­5

log |Av| log |Av|

Avo Avo

-1 -1

-2

ω1 ω2 log ω ωH log ω

It can be shown (see Gray & Meyer, 3rd ed., p. 502) that
coefficient b1 can be found exactly through:
n
� n
�
b1 = τi = RT i Ci
i=1 i=1
where:

τi is open­circuit time constant for capacitor Ci

RT i is Thevenin resistance across Ci

(with all other capacitors open­circuited)

Bandwidth then:
1 1 1
ωH � = �n = �n
b1 i=1 τi i=1 RT i Ci
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­6

Summary of open­circuit time constant technique:

1. shut­off all independent sources

2. compute Thevenin resistance RT i seen by each Ci with
all other C’s open
3. compute open­circuit time constant for Ci as

τi = RT iCi

4. conservative estimate of bandwidth:

ωH �
Στi

Iout Vout Iout

Works also with other transfer functions: Vs , Is , Is .
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­7

2. Application of OCT to evaluate bandwidth

of common source amplifier
VDD

iSUP
signal source

RS signal�
+
load

vs vOUT RL
-
VGG

VSS

Small­signal equivalent circuit model (assuming current

source has no parasitic capacitance):

RS Cgd

+ +
+
vs vgs Cgs gmvgs Cdb Rout' vout
-
- -

Three capacitors ⇒ three time constants

6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­8

� First, short vs:

Cgd

+
RS vgs Cgs gmvgs Cdb Rout'
-

� Time constant associated with Cgs

+ it
+

RS vgs vt gmvgs Rout'

-
-

Clearly:

RT gs = RS

and time constant associated with Cgs is:

τgs = RS Cgs
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­9

� Time constant associated with Cdb :

+ it

+
RS vgs gmvgs vt Rout'
-
-

Note:

vgs = 0

Then:

�
RT db = Rout

and time constant associated with Cgs is:

�
τgs = Rout Cdb
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­10

Time constant associated with Cgd :

vt
+ -
+
it
RS vgs gmvgs Rout'
-

Note:
vgs = itRS

Also:
�
vt = vgs + (gm vgs + it)Rout

Putting it all together, we have:

vt = it[RS + Rout� (1 + gm RS )]
Then:

RT gd = RS + Rout� (1 + gm RS ) = Rout� + RS (1 + gm Rout� )

and time constant associated with Cgd :

τgd = [Rout� + RS (1 + gm Rout� )]Cgd

6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­11

The bandwidth is then:

1 1
ωH � = � + R (1 + g R� )]C + R� C
Στi RS Cgs + [Rout S m out gd out db

Identical result as in last lecture.

Open circuit time constant technique evaluates bandwidth

neglecting −ω 2 term in the denominator of Av
⇒
conservative estimate of ωH .
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­12

3. Frequency response of common­gate ampli­

fier

VDD

iSUP
iOUT signal�
load
VSS
RL
signal source

is RS IBIAS

VSS

Features:

• current gain � 1
• low input resistance
• high output resistance
• ⇒ good current buffer
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­13

Small­signal equivalent circuit model:

Cgd iout
G D
+

vgs Cgs gmvgs gmbvbs ro

S -
- Cdb roc RL
is RS vbs Csb

+
B

vgs=vbs

(gm+gmb)vgs

ro
-

is RS vgs Cgs+Csb Cgd+Cdb roc//RL=RL'

� Frequency analysis: first, open is:

(gm+gmb)vgs

ro
-

RS vgs C1=Cgs+Csb RL'

C2=Cgd+Cdb
+
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­14

� Time constant associated with C1 :

(gm+gmb)vgs

ro
it
+
RS vt RL'
-

(gm+gmb)vgs

it' ro
+
vt' RL'
-

Don’t need to solve:

• test probe is in parallel with RS ,
• test probe looks into input of amplifier ⇒ sees Rin!

RT 1 = RS //Rin

And:

τ1 = (Cgs + Csb)(RS //Rin )

6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­15

� Time constant associated with C2 :

(gm+gmb)vgs

ro
it
+
RS vt roc RL
-

(gm+gmb)vgs

ro
it '
+
RS roc vt'
-

Again, don’t need to solve:

• test probe is in parallel with RL,
• test probe looks into output of amplifier ⇒ sees Rout !

RT 2 = RL//Rout
And:

τ2 = (Cgd + Cdb)(RL //Rout )

6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­16

� Bandwidth:
1
ωH �
(Cgs + Csb)(RS //Rin ) + (Cgd + Cdb )(RL //Rout )

No capacitor in Miller position → no Miller­like term.

Simplify:

• In a current amplifier, RS � Rin:

1 1

RT 1 = RS //Rin � Rin � �
gm + gmb gm
• At output:
1
RT 2 = RL//Rout = RL//roc//{ro [1+RS (gm +gmb+ )]
ro
or
RT 2 � RL//roc //[ro (1 + gm RS )] � RL

Then:
1
ωH �
(Cgs + Csb) g1m + (Cgd + Cdb)RL

If RL is not too high, bandwidth can be rather high (and

approach ωT ).
6.012 ­ Microelectronic Devices and Circuits ­ Fall 2005 Lecture 24­17

Key conclusions

• Open­circuit time­constant technique: simple and pow­

erful method to estimate bandwidth of amplifiers.
• Common­gate amplifier:
– no capacitor in Miller position ⇒ no Miller effect
– if RL is not too high, CG amp has high bandwidth
• RS , RL affect bandwidth of amplifier