class notes, M.

Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

ECE 2C, notes set 7:

Basic Transistor Circuits;
High-Frequency Response

Mark Rodwell
University of California, Santa Barbara

rodwell@ece.ucsb.edu 805-893-3244, 805-893-3262 fax

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Goals

These notes : calculate circuit transfer functions H ( s ).

Low - frequency rolloff. High - frequency rolloff.
Frequency response. Transient reponse.

Goals :
Become expert in circuit analysis.
Become expert in LaPlace methods.

Transistor circuits make good exercises :

they are real, interesting, useful.

LaPlace analysis : important in most parts of electrical engineerin g

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Field-Effect Transistor High-Frequency Model

Physical origin of these capacitances will be covered in later classes.

For ece2c, we simply take this model as given.
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Field-Effect Transistor High-Frequency Model

Csb Cdb

C gs arises mostly from gate - channel capacitance

Partly due to gate - source fringing fields, and interconnect vias.

Cdg arises in part from gate - channel capacitance

Partly due to gate - source fringing fields and interconnect vias.

Csb and Cdb are source - bulk (substrate) and drain - bulk PN junction capacitances.

M any of these capacitances vary with bias voltage.

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Basic Common-Source Amplifier

This circuit : 1950' s - styleRC biasing

Cin and Cout will reduce the circuit gain at low frequencie s.
Cgs and C gd will reduce the circuit gain at high frequencie s.
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Basic Common-Source Amplifier

Small - signal equivalent circuit :

Cin and Cout will reduce the circuit gain at low frequencie s.
Cgs and C gd will reduce the circuit gain at high frequencie s.
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Basic Common-Source Amplifier

Let us first consider response at high frequencie s.
We will therefore temporarily neglect Cin and Cout .
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Nodal Analysis: How to solve circuits

Label all circuit nodes. For each : is the voltage known ?

known voltage (blue), unknown voltage (red)

To solve circuit :
# of equations  # of unknowns  # of unknown node voltages
the equations must be * linearly independent * .

Write  currents  0 at each node which you do not know the voltage.
node

Always gives the needed set of linearly independent equations.

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source Amplifier: Simplifying

Convert the generator from a Thevenin to a Norton model :

And then use parallel resistor formulas :

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source: Nodal Analysis

Sum of currents at Vin is zero :

VinGi  Vin sCgs  Vin sCgd  Vout ( sCgd )  VgenGgen
 Vin (Gi  sCgs  sCgd )  Vout ( sCgd )  VgenGgen

Sum of currents at Vout is zero :

Vin g m  Vin ( sCgd )  Vout ( sCgd )  Vout (GLeq )  0
 Vin ( g m  sCgd )  Vout (GLeq  sCgd )  0
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source: Nodal Analysis

Vin (Gi  sCgs  sCgd )  Vout ( sCgd )  VgenGgen

Vin ( g m  sCgd )  Vout (GLeq  sCgd )  0

Gi  sCgs  sCgd  sCgd   Vin  VgenGgen 

 g  sC     
 m gd GLeq  sCgd  Vout   0 
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source: Nodal Analysis

Gi  sCgs  sCgd  sCgd   Vin  VgenGgen 
 g  sC     
 m gd GLeq  sCgd  Vout   0 

Gi  sCgs  sCgd  sCgd   Vin  Ggen 

 g  sC       Vgen
 m gd GLeq  sCgd  Vout   0 

Gi  sCgs  sCgd  sCgd   Vin  1 Ggen 

 g  sC    
 m gd GLeq  sCgd  Vout  Vgen  0 

Gi  sCgs  sCgd  sCgd   Vin / Vgen  Ggen 

 g  sC    
 m gd GLeq  sCgd  Vout / Vgen   0 
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source: Nodal Analysis

N (s)
Vout ( s )  H ( s )Vgen ( s )  Vgen ( s )
D( s)
where
Gi  sCgs  sCgd  sCgd
D( s) 
g m  sCgd GLeq  sCgd
and
Gi  sCgs  sCgd Ggen
N ( s) 
g m  sCgd 0
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source: Nodal Analysis

Gi  sCgs  sCgd  sCgd

D( s) 
g m  sCgd GLeq  sCgd

D( s )  Gi  sCgs  sCgd GLeq  sCgd    sCgd g m  sCgd 

D( s )  Gi GLeq  Gi sCgd  GLeq sCgs  GLeq sCgd  sCgd sCgs  g m sCgd

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source: Nodal Analysis

organize into powers of s :

  
D( s)  Gi GLeq  s Gi C gd  GLeq C gs  GLeqC gd  g m sCgd  s 2 C gsC gd 
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source: Nodal Analysis

Separate into a constant carrying units

multiplied by a unitless frequency response :

D( s ) / Gi GLeq
  
 1  sRi Rleq Gi C gd  GLeq C gs  GLeq C gd  g mC gd  s 2 Ri Rleq C gsC gd 

  
D( s ) Ri Rleq  1  s Rleq C gd  Ri C gs  Ri C gd  g m Ri Rleq C gd  s 2 Ri Rleq C gsC gd 
 1  sR Ci gs  R C
i gd (1  g R
m leq )  R C
leq gd  
s 2

Ri Rleq C gsC gd 
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source: Nodal Analysis

Follow the same rules for the numerator :

Gi  sCgs  sCgd Ggen

N (s)   Ggen g m  sCgd 
g m  sCgd 0
 Ggen g m  Ggen sCgd  Ggen g m  1  sCgd / g m 
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source: Nodal Analysis

N ( s )  Ggen g m  1  sCgd / g m 
D( s )  Ri Rleq  1  s Ri C gs  Ri C gd (1  g m Rleq )  Rleq C gd   s 2 Ri Rleq C gsC gd 

N (s)  Ggen g m  1  sCgd / g m 


D( s )  Ri Rleq 1  s Ri C gs  Ri C gd (1  g m Rleq )  Rleq C gd   s 2 Ri Rleq C gsC gd 

So
Vout ( s )  Ggen Ri Rleq g m  1  sCgd / g m 
 H (s) 
Vgen ( s ) 1  s Ri C gs  Ri C gd (1  g m Rleq )  Rleq C gd   s 2 Ri Rleq C gsC gd 
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source: Nodal Analysis

Vout
 H ( s )  H mid band  H normalized( s )
Vgen
1  sCgd / g m
H normalized( s ) 
1  s Ri C gs  Ri C gd (1  g m Rleq )  Rleq C gd   s 2 Ri Rleq C gsC gd 

Ri Rgen || Rin , Amp

H mid band  Ggen Ri Rleq g m   g m Rleq   g m Rleq
Rgen Rgen
Rgen Rin , Amp Rin , Amp
  g m Rleq   g m Rleq
Rgen ( Rgen  Rin , Amp ) Rgen  Rin , Amp
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Common-Source Nodal Analysis: the answer

Vout
 H mid band  H normalized( s )
Vgen
where
Rin , Amp
H mid band   g m Rleq is the mid - band gain.
Rgen  Rin , Amp
1  b1s
H normalized( s )  is the amplifier frequency response.
1  a1s  a2 s 2

First - order time constant : a1  Ri C gs  Ri C gd  g m Ri Rleq C gd  Rleq C gd

Second - order (time) 2 constant : a2  Ri Rleq C gsC gd 

and b1  C gd / g m
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Comments on the analysis

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Finding Poles: Separated Pole Approximation

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Finding Poles: Separated Pole Approximation

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Amplifier Frequency Response

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Example
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Frequency Response Example (1): DC

FET : Design conditions
( coxWg / 2 Lg )  1mA/V 2 VDS  0.7 V
Vth  0.3 V I D  50 A
1 /   10V VDD  3.3 V
Rgen  100 k, RL  50 k
current through Rg1  1 A
Analysis :
I D  ( coxWg / 2 Lg )(Vgs  Vth ) 2 ( term ignored )  50 A
(Vgs  Vth )  ( I D )1/ 2 ( coxWg / 2 Lg ) 1/ 2
* we are ignoring the (1  VDS ) term in the
bias analysis.
Doing this causes some small error.

(Vgs  0.3 V)  50 A 1mA/V 2 1/ 2
 0.22V
Vgs  0.52 V.
If we do not, the DC analysis involves solving
quadratic formulas. Hard.
VDS  VDD  I D RD
RD  (VDD  VDS ) / I D
In ECE137A we will learn some tricks to
calculate this quickly yet fairly accurately.
 (3.3 V  0.7 V) / 50 A  52 k

Do not ignore the (1  VDS ) term in the

Rg1  0.52V/1 A  520 k,
small signal analysis. Rg 2  (3.3  0.52V)/10 A  2.78 M,
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Frequency Response Example (2): Component Values

3.3 V
52 k
2.78 M

0.52 V 0.7 V

g m  0.47 mS
100 k Gds  5S

520 k 50 k
1 A 50 A

FET :
I D
I D  ( coxWg / 2 Lg )(Vgs  Vth ) 2 (1  VDS )  g m   ( coxWg / Lg )(Vgs  Vth )(1  VDS )
Vgs
g m  (2mA/V 2 )(0.52V  0.3V)(1  0.7V/10V )  0.471 mS
I D I D 50 A 1
Gds    I D   5S 
Vds (1  VDS ) 10V 200 k
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Frequency Response Example (3): Component Values

200k

100 k 52 k || 50k
 25.5k

g m  0.47 mS
520 k || 2.78M
 438k
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Frequency Response Example (4): Component Values

g m  0.47 mS
1 pF 0.25 pF

 82k  22.6k
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Frequency Response Example (5): (time)n constants

Vout
 H mid band  H normalized( s )
Vgen
Rg1 || Rg 2
H mid band   g m Rleq  10.66  0.814  8.65
Rg1 || Rg 2
1  b1s
H normalized( s )  .
1  a1s  a2 s 2

a1  Ri C gs  Ri C gd  g m Ri Rleq C gd  Rleq C gd
 82k 1pF  82k  0.25pF  0.47 mS  82k  22.6k  0.25pF  22.6k  0.25pF
 0.326 s

 
a2  Ri Rleq C gsC gd  a2 / a1  82k  22.6k 1pF 0.25pF/0.326 s  1.42ns
a2 / a  a1 , so, separated pole approximation works.

b1  C gd / g m  0.25pF/0.47mS  0.532 ns
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Frequency Response Example (6): Transfer Function

Vout ( s) 1  b1s
 8.65 
Vgen ( s) (1  a1s)(1  (a2 / a1 ) s)
a1  0.326s, a2 / a1  1.42ns, b1  0.532 ns

Vout ( j 2f ) 1  jf / f z
 8.65 
Vgen ( j 2f ) (1  jf / f p1 )(1  jf / f p 2 )
0.159 0.159
f p1   488 kHz, f p 2   112 M Hz
0.326s 1.42ns
0.159
fz   299 M Hz (zero in the right half of the s - plane)
 532ps
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

The Miller Effect

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The Miller Approximation

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The Miller Approximation

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

The Miller Approximation

Refer back to the common - source analysis

You will see C gd (1  g m RLeq ) Ri

i.e. C gd (1  Av ) Ri
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Using Miller Approximation to Understand Response

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Using Miller Approximation to Understand Response

Low - frequency gain from Vi to Vout is  g m RLeq
Approximate : replace Cgd with Cmiller

Cmiller  (1  g m RLeq )Cgd

Ri C gs
Vout

g mVi RLeq

1 / 2f pole  Ri (Cgs  Cmiller )  RiCgs  Ri (1  g m RLeq )Cgd

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Miller and Exact Solutions

Exact solution
a1  Ri C gs  Ri C gd  g m Ri Rleq C gd  Rleq C gd

a2  Ri Rleq C gd C gd 
 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Further Comments Regarding Miller Approximation

 class notes, M. Rodwell, copyrighted 2013

Frequency/Transient Reponse: Real, Important