Examples

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Distortion

Distortion of BJT Amplifiers

VCC

Consider the CE BJT

amplifier shown. The
biasing is omitted for
clarity.

RL
vo
+
vs

The output voltage is simply

Vo = VCC

IC RC

Therefore the distortion is generated by IC alone. Recall that

IC = IS e qVBE /kT

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Distortion

BJT CE Distortion (cont)

Now assume the input VBE = vi + VQ , where VQ is the bias

point. The current is therefore given by
VQ

vi

IC = IS e VT e VT
| {z }
IQ

Using a Taylor expansion for the exponential

1 2
1
x + x3 +
2!
3!

vi
1 vi 2 1 v i 3
IC = IQ (1 +
+
+
+ )
VT
2 VT
6 VT
ex = 1 + x +

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Distortion

BJT CE Distortion (cont)

Define the output signal ic = IC

ic =

IQ

IQ
1 q 2
1 q 3
vi +
IQ vi2 +
IQ vi3 +
VT
2 kT
6 kT

Compare to So = a1 Si + a2 Si2 + a3 Si3 +

qIQ
= gm
kT
1 q 2
a2 =
IQ
2 kT
1 q 3
a3 =
IQ
6 kT
a1 =

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Distortion

Example: BJT HD2

For any BJT (Si, SiGe, Ge, GaAs), we have the following
result
1 q vi
HD2 =
4 kT
where vi is the peak value of the input sine voltage
For vi = 10mV, HD2 = 0.1 = 10%
We can also express the distortion as a function of the output
current swing ic
HD2 =
For

ic
IQ

1 a2
1 ic
S
=
om
2 a12
4 IQ

= 0.4, HD2 = 10%

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Distortion

Example: BJT IM3

Lets see the maximum allowed signal for IM3 1%

3 a3 2 1
IM3 =
S =
4 a1 1
8

q vi
kT

Solve vi = 7.3mV. Thats a pretty small voltage. For practical

applications wed like to improve the linearity of this amplifier.

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Distortion

Example: Disto in Long-Ch. MOS

ID = IQ + io

ID = 12 Cox

W
(VGS VT )2
L

vi

io +IQ = 12 Cox

VQ

W
(VQ +vi VT )2
L

Ignoring the output impedance we have

= 12 Cox

W
L

VT )2 + vi2 + 2vi (VQ

(VQ

W
= IQ + Cox vi (VQ
|{z} |
L {z
dc

linear

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VT )

W
VT ) + 12 Cox vi2
} |
{z L }

Distortion

quadratic

Ideal Square Law Device

An ideal square law device only generates 2nd order distortion
io = gm vi + 12 Cox

W 2
v
L i

a1 = gm
a2 = 12 Cox

W
gm
= 12
L
VQ VT

a3 0
The harmonic distortion is given by
HD2 =

1 a2
1
gm
1
1
vi
vi =
vi =
2 a1
4 VQ VT gm
4 VQ VT
HD3 = 0
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Distortion

Real MOSFET Device

600

14

Triode

12

CLM

DIBL

SCBE

400
Mobility

Rout k

10
8
6
4

200

Vds (V)

0
Effective Field

The real MOSFET device generates higher order distortion

The output impedance is non-linear. The mobility is not a
constant but a function of the vertical and horizontal electric
field
We may also bias the device at moderate or weak inversion,
where the device behavior is more exponential
There is also internal feedback

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Distortion