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6/26/12
MOSFET CURRENT
SOURCES FOR IC
BIASING
BY
SNEHA GHANATE
M-TECH(VLSI SYSTEM DESIGN)
EMAIL: sneha.bandhavi@gmail.com
6/26/12
FLOW-LINE
Ideal Current sources
Ideal v/s Actual Current sources
Constant current sources and MOS current
steering circuits
MOSFET characteristics
MOSFET modes of operation
MOSFET as a constant current source/sink
Design of constant current source using
current mirror
Basic current mirror circuit using MOSFET
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Ideal Current source and its
Characteristics

S
O
U
R
C
E
L
O
A
D
A
B
I
s
Transfer of energy from source
to load
Symbol for Ideal current
source
Z Load
impedance
I
c
u
rr
e
n
t
I
s
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Ideal vs. Actual Current
Source
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A Constant current source is basic building block in IC design

Ideally the output impedance of current source should be infinite

and can generate constant current over wide range of voltages
CONSTANT CURRENT
SOURCES/SINKS
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CURRENT SOURCE
USING MOSFET
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MOSFET as a Constant Current
Source/Sink
Three regions of
operation

Cutoff mode

Linear mode

Saturation mode
+
-
V
gs
= 0
n+ n+
+
-
V
gd
p-type body
b
g
s d
+
-
V
gs
> V
t
n+ n+
+
-
V
gd
= V
gs
+
-
V
gs
> V
t
n+ n+
+
-
V
gs
> V
gd
> V
t
V
ds
= 0
0 < V
ds
< V
gs
-V
t
p-type body
p-type body
b
g
s
d
b
g
s
d
I
ds
+
-
V
gs
> V
t
n+ n+
+
-
V
gd
< V
t
V
ds
> V
gs
-V
t
p-type body
b
g
s d
I
ds
cutoff
mode
linear mode of
operation
saturation
mode
th GS GS v V V < or 0
( )
( )
1
1
]
1

,
_

<
2
) / (

2
and
DS
DS TH GS D
GS
V
V V V L W K
vth V DS th GS
I
V V v
( )
( )
( )
DS
TH GS
D
GS
V
V V
L W K
vth V DS th GS
I
V V v
+
1
]
1

1
2
) / (

2
and
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Basic MOSFET modes of
operation
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< VGS-VT0
>= VGS-
VT0
Basic MOSFET Equations
MOSFET IDS-VDS
Characteristics
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Design of Constant Current Source
using Reference Generator
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MOS Current
Mirror
The motivation behind a current mirror is to
duplicate a (scaled version of the) Reference
current to other locations.
Current mirror
concept
Generation of
required VGS
Current Mirror
Circuitry
( )
2
2
1
TH GS
REF
REF
V V
L
W
K I

,
_

( )
2
1
1
2
1
TH GS copy
V V
L
W
K I

,
_

VG
S
VG
S
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Current Mirror using N-
MOSFET
) , ( DG GS D
REF out
V V f I
I I

M
1
M
2
W1/
L1
W2/
L2
V
S
S
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Basic Current
Mirror
( )
( )
REF
REF
I
L W
L W
Iout
/
/
2

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Current Mirror Using n-
MOSFET
Basic Current
mirror USING N-
channel MOSFET
M
1
M
2
W1/
L1
W2/
L2
V
S
S
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Current Mirror Using n-
MOSFET
1
2
)
)
L W
L W
I
I
REF
o

basic current sink using n-channel MOSFET current

mirror circuit
M
1
M
2
W1/
L1
W2/
L2
V
S
S
Iout =f(VGS)
= IREF
Since
VGS1=VGS2
Io =
(W/L)2[VGS2-VTHN ]
IREF (W/L)1[VGS1-VTHN ]
If
L1=L2
Io/IREF =
W2/W1
IREF = VDD-VGS-
VSS
R
Vmin across current sink is
set by requirement that M2
remain in saturation
Vmin=Vds,sat=VGS-
Vth
L1,L2,W1,W2 and VGS parameters are available for designers to set the currents in current
sources and sinks
( )
( )
REF
I
L W
L W
I
1
2
0
/
/

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Current mirror using p-channel
MOSFET
( )
( )
REF
I
L W
L W
Iout
1
2
/
/

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T
H
A
N
K

Y
O
U