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CHAPTER
ANALOG INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
CHAPTER OUTLINE
16.4
162
163
164
165
168
167
168
169
Circuit Element Matching
Current Mirrors
High-Output Resistance Current Mirrors
Reference Current Generation
‘The Bandgap Reference
The Current Mirror as an Active Load
‘Active Loads in Operational Amplifiers
The wAz4t Operational Amplifier
The Gilbert Analog Multiplier
Summary
Key Terms
References
Problems
CHAPTER GOALS
In Chapter 16 we concentrate on understanding integrated cir
cuit design techniques that are based upon the characteristics
of closely matched devices and look at a number af key build
ing blocks of operational amplifiers and other ICs. Our goals
areto:
‘Understand bipolar and MOS current mirror operation
and mirror ratio errors
‘Explore high output resistance current sources
including cascode and Wilson current source circuits
Learn to design current sources for use in both discrete
and integrated circuits
‘Add reference current citcuit techniques to our kt of
circuit building Blocks. These circuits produce currents
that exhibit a substantial degree of independence from
power supply voltage including the Vie-based reference
and the Widlar current source
+ Investigate the operation and design of bandgap
reference circuits, one ofthe most important
techniques for providing an accurate reference voltage
that is independent of power supply voltages anc
temperature
‘© Use current mirors as active loads in differential
amplifiers to increase the voltage gain of single-stage
amplifiers to the amplification factor yy
‘© Lear how to include the effects of device mismatch in
the calculation of amplifier performance measures such
as CMRR
‘© Analyze the design of the classic wA7¢1 operational
amplifier
‘+ Understand the techniques used to realize four
quadrant analog multipliers wth large input signal
range
‘© Continue to increase our understanding of SPICE
simulation techniques
In Chapter 16, we explore several extremely clever and ex-
citing circuits designed by two of the legends of integrated
circuit design, Robert Widar and Barrie Gilbert, Widlarde-
veloped the LM1O1 operational amplifier and many of the
circuits that led tothe design of the classic wA741 op amp.
Widlar was also responsible for the bandgap reference.
Gilbert invented a four-quadrant analog multiplier circuit
referred to today a the Gilbert mulpliet. The A741 circuit
techniques spawned a broad range of follow-on designs that
sue still n use today. The bandgap reference forms the heart
of most precision voltage references and voltage regulator
circuits, and is also used as a temperature sensor in digital
thermometry. Circuits related to the analog multiplier are
used in RF mixers (the Gilbert mixer) and phase detectors
in phase-locked loops.
Integrated circuit (IC) technology allows the realiza-
tion of large numbers of virtually identical transistors. Al
though the absolute parameter tolerances of these devices
ate relatively poor, device characteristics can be matched toChapters Analog tegrated Creuts 3879
 
 
Legends of Analog Design (2) Robert]. Widar.() Bari Gilbert
(courtesy of Ntinal Semiconductor.) Cortes of nag Devices
within I percent or better. The ability to build devices with nearly identical characteristics has
led to the development of special citeuit techniques that take advantage of the tight matching of
the device characteristics. Figures 16.1 and 16.2 show an example of the use of four matched
‘wansistors to improve the performance of the differential amplifier that we studied in the last
‘chapter. The four devices are cross-connected to further improve the overall parameter matching
and temperature tracking of the circuit
Chapter 16 begins by exploring the use of matched transistors inthe design of current sources,
called current mirrors, in both MOS and bipolar technology. The cascode and Wilson current
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 16,1. Differentiat amplifier Figure 16.2. Layout of the
formed with a cross-connected quad of ‘cross-coupled transistor quad in
‘identical transistors Fig. 16.1180
Chapter sé Aroog Ines heuts
sources are subsequently added to our repertoire of high-output-resistance current source circuits,
Circuit techniques that can be used to achieve power supply independent biasing are also
introduced,
‘We will also study the bandgap reference circuit which uses the well defined behavior of the
‘ph junction to produce a precise output voltage that is highly independent of power supply voltage
and temperature, The bandgap circuit is widely used in voltage references and voltage regulators
‘The current mirror is often used to bias analog circuits and to replace load resistors in
differential and operational amplifiers. This active-load circuit can substantially enhance the
voltage gain capability of many amplifies, and a number of MOS and bipolar circuit examples
are presented. The chapter then discusses circuit techniques used in IC operational amplifiers,
including the classic 741 amplifier. This design provides a robust, high-performance, general-
purpose operational amplifier with breakdown-voltage protection of the input stage and short-
circuit protection ofthe output stage. The final section looks at the precision four-quadrant analog
multiplier design of Gilbert.
16.1 CIRCUIT ELEMENT MATCHING
Integrated circuit design is based directly on the ability to realize large numbers of transistors with
nearly identical characteristics, Transistors are said to be matched when they have identical sets,
of device parameters: (Is, Bro, Va) for the BIT, (Vy, K’, 2) for the MOSFET, ot (Iss. Vp. 4)
for the JFET. The planar geometry of the devices can easily be changed in integrated designs,
and so the emitter area Ay of the BJT and the W/L. ratio of the MOSFET become important
cirouit design parameters, (Remember from our study of MOS digital circuits in Part TT that W/Z.
represents a fundamental circuit design parameter.)
In integrated circuits, absolute parameter values may vary widely from fabrication process
run to process run, with 25 to 30 percent tolerances not uncommon (see Table 16.1). However,
the matching between nearby circuit elements on a given IC chip is typically within a fraction of
1 percent. Thus, IC design techniques have been invented that rely heavily on matched device
characteristics and resistor ratios rather than absolute parameter values. The circuits described
in this chapter depend, for proper operation, on the tight device matching that can be realized
through IC fabrication processes, and many will not operate correctly if built with mismatched
discrete components. However, many of these circuits can be used in discrete circuit design if
integrated transistor arrays are used in the implementation.
 
 
 
TABLE 16.1
Ic Tolerances and Matching [1]
ABSOLUTE TOLERANCE, % MISMATCH, %
Dilhused resistors 30
Ton-implanted resistors 5
Vee 10
Tes Bs Va 30
Vay, Var 1s
 
Kuh 30