Microelectronics

Current Mirrors

2019/2/25

Jieh-Tsorng Wu

National Chiao-Tung University

Department of Electronics Engineering
 Outline
1. BJT Current Mirror
2. MOS Current Mirror

15. Current Mirrors 2 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 CS and CE Amplifiers with Current-Source Loads

Av = − g m1 × ( ro1  ro 2 )
Rout = ro1  ro 2

 To increase 𝐴𝐴𝑣𝑣 , want to increase 𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑜 and 𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑜 .

 A current source need headroom (𝑉𝑉𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 ) to maintain a
constant out current.
 A real current source exhibits output resistance effect.

15. Current Mirrors 3 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Supply-Independent Biasing Using Current Source

RS = ∞ RS = ro 2
RS ro 2
=Av = 1 Av =
1 1
+ RS + ro 2
gm gm

 If 𝑅𝑅𝑆𝑆 is replaced by a current source, drain current 𝐼𝐼𝐷𝐷 becomes independent of

supply voltage.

14. Cascode Stages 4 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Temperature and Supply Dependence of Bias Current

R2 I1 1 W
= µ ( GS TH )
−
2
VCC = V= VT ln I C V V
R1 + R2
BE 1 n ox
IS 2 L
2
kT 1 W  R2 
VT = = µnCox  VDD − VTH 
q 2 L  R1 + R2 

 Since 𝑉𝑉𝑇𝑇 , 𝐼𝐼𝑆𝑆 , 𝜇𝜇𝑛𝑛 , and 𝑉𝑉𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 all depend on temperature, 𝐼𝐼1 for both bipolar and MOS
depends on temperature and supply.

15. Current Mirrors 5 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Concept of Current Mirror

 The motivation behind a current mirror is to sense the current from a “golden
current source” and duplicate this “golden current” to other locations.

15. Current Mirrors 6 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Bipolar Current Mirror Circuitry

I REF I copy
I C = I S eVBE /VT =
V1 V=
X = VT ln
VBE = VT ln
I S , REF I S1
IC
VBE = VT ln I REF I copy I S1
IS ⇒ = ⇒ I copy =× I REF
I S , REF I S1 I S , REF

 The diode-connected 𝑄𝑄𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 produces an output voltage 𝑉𝑉1 that forces 𝐼𝐼𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 = 𝐼𝐼𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 , if
𝑄𝑄1 = 𝑄𝑄𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 .

15. Current Mirrors 7 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Bad Current Mirror Example 1

 Without shorting the collector and base of 𝑄𝑄𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 together, there will not be a path for
the base currents to flow, therefore, 𝐼𝐼𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 = 0.

15. Current Mirrors 8 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Bad Current Mirror Example 2

I copy = I S 1e VX VT

 Although a path for base currents exists, this technique of biasing is no better than
resistive divider.

15. Current Mirrors 9 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Multiple Copies of IREF

I REF
VBE = VT ln
I S , REF
I copy , j
= VT ln
IS, j
I REF I copy , j
⇒ =
I S , REF IS, j
IS, j
⇒ I copy , j = × I REF
I S , REF

 Multiple copies of 𝐼𝐼𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 can be generated at different locations by simply applying

the idea of current mirror to more transistors.

15. Current Mirrors 10 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Current Scaling

I S1 IS 2 IS3
I copy = I c1 + I c 2 + I c 3 = × I REF + × I REF + × I REF
I S , REF I S , REF I S , REF
 I S1 IS 2 IS3 
=  + + ×I = n × I REF
I  REF
 S , REF I S , REF I S , REF 
 By scaling the emitter area of 𝑄𝑄𝑗𝑗 n times with respect to 𝑄𝑄𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 , 𝐼𝐼𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐,𝑗𝑗 is also n times
larger than 𝐼𝐼𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 . This is equivalent to placing n unit-size transistors in parallel.

15. Current Mirrors 11 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Example: Scaled Current

QREF= Q=
1 Q2 =  = Q5

15. Current Mirrors 12 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Fractional Scaling

=QREF 1 Q=
REF 2 = QREF 3 Q1
I S1 1
=I copy = × I REF × I REF
I S , REF 3
 A fraction of 𝐼𝐼𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 can be created on 𝑄𝑄1 by scaling up the emitter area of 𝑄𝑄𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 .

15. Current Mirrors 13 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Example: Different Mirroring Ratio

AE 1
=I copy1 = × I REF × 0.2 mA =
0.05 mA
4 AE 4
10 AE 5
=I copy 2 = × I REF × 0.2 mA =
0.5 mA
4 AE 2
15. Current Mirrors 14 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu
 Mirroring Error Due to Base Currents

I C , REF AE
=
I copy nAE
I copy
⇒ I C , REF =
n

I copy I C , REF I copy 1

=
I B1 I= = ×
β B , REF
β β n
I copy I copy 1 I copy n × I REF
I REF = I C , REF + I B , REF + I B1 = + × + ⇒ I copy =
n β n β 1
1 + ( n + 1)
β

15. Current Mirrors 15 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Improved Mirroring Accuracy
I copy
I C , REF =
n
I copy
I B1 =
β
I C , REF I copy 1
I= = ×
B , REF
β β n
I C , F ≈ I E , F = I B1 + I B , REF
I copy  1 
I copy
I REF = I C , REF + I B , F = + 2 1 +  I copy 1 I copy
n β  n = + ×
β β n
n × I REF
⇒ I copy = I C , F I copy  1 
1 I= = 2 
1+ 
1 + 2 ( n + 1) B,F
β β  n
β
 Because of 𝑄𝑄𝐹𝐹 , the base currents of 𝑄𝑄𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝐹𝐹 and 𝑄𝑄1 are mostly supplied by 𝑄𝑄𝐹𝐹 rather
than 𝐼𝐼𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 . Mirroring error is reduced 𝛽𝛽 times.
15. Current Mirrors 16 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu
 Example: Different Mirroring Ratio Accuracy
= =
I copy 2 10 I copy1 I C , REF 4 I copy1
I copy1 I copy 2 10 I copy1
=
I B1 =
IB2 =
β β β
I C , REF 4 I copy1
I= =
B , REF
β β
IC ,F ≈ I E ,F
15 I copy1
= I B1 + I B 2 + I B , REF =
β
I C , F I copy1
I REF = I C , REF + I B , F = 4 I copy1 +
15 I copy I= =
β2
B,F
β 2
β
I REF 10 I REF
⇒ I copy1 = I copy 2 = 10 I copy1 =
15 15
4+ 2 4+ 2
β β
15. Current Mirrors 17 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu
 PNP Current Mirror

 PNP current mirror is used as a current source load to an NPN amplifier stage.

15. Current Mirrors 18 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Generation of IREF for PNP Current Mirror

15. Current Mirrors 19 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Example: Current Mirror with Discrete Devices

I S1
I copy = × I REF
I S , REF

 Let 𝑄𝑄𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 and 𝑄𝑄1 be discrete NPN devices. 𝐼𝐼𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 and 𝐼𝐼𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 can vary in large
magnitude due to 𝐼𝐼𝑆𝑆 mismatch.

15. Current Mirrors 20 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 BJT Current Mirror with Emitter Degeneration
Assume Q3  Q4
IC 3 + IC 4
∆I C ≡ I C 3 − I C 4 IC ≡
2
I S3 + I S4
∆I S ≡ I S 3 − I S4 I S ≡
2
α + αF3
∆α F ≡ α F 3 − α F 4 α F ≡ F 3
2
R3 + R4
∆R = R3 − R4 R =
2
gm R
∆I C 1 ∆I S αF  ∆R ∆α F 
IC βF ≈ × + ×− + 
=βF = αF IC 1 + mg R IS 1+ m g R  R α F 
IB βF +1 αF αF
 If 𝑔𝑔𝑚𝑚 𝑅𝑅 ≪ 1, the 𝐼𝐼𝐶𝐶 mismatch is determined by the 𝐼𝐼𝑆𝑆 mismatch.
 If 𝑔𝑔𝑚𝑚 𝑅𝑅 ≫ 1, the 𝐼𝐼𝐶𝐶 mismatch is determined by the 𝑅𝑅 and 𝛼𝛼𝐹𝐹 mismatch.

15. Current Mirrors 21 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 MOS Current Mirror

1 W 
= µnCox   (VX − VTH )
2
I REF
2  L  REF
1 W 
= µnCox   (VX − VTH )
2
I copy
2  L 1
(W L )1
I copy = × I REF
(W L ) REF
15. Current Mirrors 22 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu
 Bad MOS Current Mirror Example

 This is not a current mirror since the relationship between 𝑉𝑉𝑋𝑋 and 𝐼𝐼𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 is not clearly
defined.
 The only way to clearly define 𝑉𝑉𝑋𝑋 and 𝐼𝐼𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 is to use a diode-connected MOS since it
provides square-law I-V relationship.

15. Current Mirrors 23 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Example: Current Scaling

15. Current Mirrors 24 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 CMOS Current Mirror

15. Current Mirrors 25 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu

 Cascode Current Mirrors

β o 2 ro 2 Rout ≈ ro1ro 2 g m 2
Rout ≈
2 I o = I REF
β 1
I o = I REF × ⋅
β +1 1+ 2 + 1
β β +1
15. Current Mirrors 26 Microelectronics; Jieh-Tsorng Wu