Analog IC Design Viva Questions

MOS Device Physics

1. Compare Bipolar, NMOS, CMOS Technologies in terms of speed, area, cost and power
2. Explain the behavior of a MOSFET as a switch
3. Draw the physical structure of a CMOS inverter
4. Distinguish between NMOS and PMOS devices
5. Define Threshold Voltage, Body Effect, Channel Length Modulation, Subthreshold Conduction,
transconductance gm and gmb.
6. Describe the mathematical model of a long channel MOSFET in various operating regions
7. Describe the mathematical model of a short channel MOSFET in various operating regions
8. Draw the layout of a 50u/0.5u NMOS transistor using i) one finger ii) two fingers. Calculate the
drain area, source area, drain perimeter and source perimeter. Compare both the solutions
9. Explain the various sources of capacitances in a MOSFET. Also describe how to calculate them in
various operating regions
10. Distinguish between gate capacitance and junction capacitance
11. For a MOSFET (30u/0.5u) realized using single finger and two fingers, calculate the various
capacitances in the triode and saturation regions.
12. Draw the small signal model of a MOSFET i) ignoring channel length modulation, body effect ii)
considering channel length modulation, body effect
13. Describe all the LEVEL-1 Spice Model Parameters and their values in detail. Also mention their
units
14. Distinguish between LEVEL-1, LEVEL-2, LEVEL-3, BSIM SPICE Models of a MOSFET

Single State Amplifiers

1. Draw the circuit diagram of a common source amplifier with i) Rd load ii) diode connected load iii)
PMOS current source load iv) NMOS current source load v) source degeneration.
2. Draw the circuit diagrams of common gate amplifier, common drain amplifier, cascode amplifier,
nmos input folded cascode amplifier, pmos input folded cascode amplifier.
3. Write down the small signal voltage gain, I/O Characteristic, input impedance, output impedance for
each of the configurations in (1) and (2).
4. Compare the bandwidth of CS Amplifier i) with Rd load ii) diode connected load iii) pmos current
source load
5. For a MOSFET (50u/0.5u) carrying a bias current of 0.5ma, calculate gm, ro.

Differential Amplifiers

1. Define single ended signal and differential signal precisely

2. What are the advantages of differential signaling over single ended signaling
3. Draw the circuit diagram of a differential amplifier with i) Rd load and ii) PMOS current source load
iii) PMOS active current mirror load. Also mention their small signal gains and output swings
4. What is the role of tail current source in a differential amplifier? Explain the effect of non ideality of
the tail current source
5. For change in the input common mode level, how does the differential amplifier behave
6. What is a Gilbert Cell. Mention its applications
7. Should the common model level of a differential input signal to a differential amplifier, be low or
high? Why
8. Plot the IO characteristics and various waveforms of a differential amplifier
9. Mention the input common mode range of a differential amplifier with Rd load
Passive and Active Current Mirrors

1. Plot the IO characteristic of an ideal current source.

2. What is the source impedance of a i) ideal voltage source ii) ideal current source
3. To realize a current source, we can use a i) NMOS transistor biased in the saturation region ii) basic
current mirror iii) cascode current mirror iv) low voltage cascode current mirror. Draw the circuit
diagram of each of the above configurations
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each configuration (Very important)
5. A MOSFET (25u/0.5u) is to be used as a current source carrying 0.5ma. Calculate the bias voltage to
be applied to its gate. Plot the IO characteristic of the current source obtained
6. A 0.5ma current source is to be generated from an ideal 0.25ma ideal current source using basic
current mirror. Calculate the W/L ratios of each mosfet. Plot the IO characteristic of the current
source obtained
7. A 0.5ma current source is to be generated from an ideal 0.25ma ideal current source using cascode
current mirror. Calculate the W/L ratios of each mosfet. Plot the IO characteristic of the current
source obtained
8. Explain clearly the operation of a differential amplifier with active current mirror load

Frequency Response of Amplifiers

1. Calculate the bandwidth (cutoff frequency), output rise time, propagation delay of a RC low pass
filter with R=10Ω and C=1.59nF. Also write down the equation for the step response
2. Compare the rise time, bandwidth of two RC low pass filters with R1 = 10 Ω, C1=1.59nF and R2 =
1K Ω, C2=1.59nF
3. Define Millers Theorem.
4. If a capacitor C is connected between input and output terminals of an inverting amplifier with gain
A, using miller effect obtain the equivalent capacitance at the input teriminal and the output
terminals reflected to ground
5. Compare common source amplifier with i) Rd load ii) diode connected load and iii) pmos current
source load in terms of their bandwidth
6. Identify the number of poles and zeros for i) CS amplifers, common gate amplifier, cascode
amplifier, differential amplifier, telescope opamp and two stage opamp

Feedback
1. What are the advantages of negative feedback?
2. What do you mean by voltage current feedback?
3. What happens to the input/output impedance with voltage voltage feedback
4. What happens to the input/output impedance with voltage current feedback
5. What happens to the input/output impedance with current voltage feedback
6. What happens to the input/output impedance with current current feedback
7. Explain the effect of loading

Operational Amplifiers

1. What decides the gain of the opamp in any application

2. Draw the circuit diagram of a telescopic opamp, folded cascode opamp, gain boosting opamp, two
stage opamp
3. Compare the various opamp configurations in terms of gain, bandwidth, power dissipation, area,
output voltage swing, linearity etc
4. Define Slew Rate and how the slewing performance is achieved in an opamp.
5. What is common mode feedback? Why does it occur
6. Define the terms Gain Crossover frequency, Phase Cross Over frequency and Phase Margin
7. What is frequency compensation? Why is it necessary?
8. Explain the various methods of achieving frequency compensation. Plot the Bode plot of a telescopic
opamp, two stage opamp with and without compensation

In addition to these questions, you can also expect questions on Analog System Design course also