Miller Effect

Miller’s Theorem:
Miller Effect

Application of Miller effect to a floating impedance.

Z Z
Z1 
VY 1 Av V
V V 1
V
VX
X Y
 X
A  Y

 V
where
v
Z Z1
Z Z X
Z2 
 VX 1 A1v
1
VY
Miller Theorem only holds if we know a priori that the circuit
can be converted. The following example is invalid for

Miller’s theorem.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 2

1
 Miller Effect
Example:
Calculate the input and output resistance of this
circuit.

A v  1 gm  gmb r0

Rin  r0 1 r0 1

1  Av gm  gmb 1 1 gm  gmb gm 
 1 1
 r0  gmb

gm  gmb gm 
gmb
r0 r0 1
R
   r
out
1  A-1 1  1 g  g 0r gm  gmb 0
v
 1
m mb

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 3

Association of Poles with Nodes

Cascade amplifier:

Vout A1 A2 1
Vin
s  . .
1 RSCin s 1 R1CNs 1 R2Cps

Each node has a time constant j, thus the transfer function
can be represented as:
Vout
s  Hs  
Vin

, where j is the product of the capacitance and resistance

seen at node j to ground.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 4

2
 Association of Poles with Nodes
Example:
Compute the transfer function of the common-gate stage for this
circuit, =0.
At node X, CS = CGS1+CSB1, giving a pole frequency
  1
1
in  CGS1  CSB1 RS 

 g  g 
  m1 mb1 

At node Y, CD = CDG+CDB, giving a pole frequency

out  C  C R 1

DG DB

Vout gm1  gmb RD 1

Vin  s  .
1 gm1  gmb s  s 
RS 
1 1 
 in  out 

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 5

Common-Source Stage
Common-source
stage: A v  gmRD
Rin  RS
Cin  CGS  1 A v CGD  CGS  1 gmRD CGD
in   1  
  1 gmRD CGD RS
CGS
Rout  RD
1  1 
C  C  1 A C  C  CGD  CDB  CGD
out DB v GD
1 DB

1 gmRD 
  
CDB  CGD
out
R
D

Thus, we can write the transfer function as:

Vout - gmRD
V in s  s  s 

Two primary 1 1 

errors:  in  out 

(1) Zeros are not taken into account.

(2) The gain –gmRD would change with frequency.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 6

3
 Common-Source Stage
High-frequency small-signal model:

Thus, we can write down KCL at X and Vout.

VX  Vin
 V C s  V  V C s0
X GS X out GD
RS
Vout
V  V C s V V C s 0
g R
out X GD m X out DB
D

Vout CGDs  gm RD

V  s R
 R s2  R 1 g R C  R C  R C C s  1
in D S m D GD S GS D GD DB
S

, where   CGS CGD  CGS CDB  CDB CGD

This circuit has a zero at s=gm/CGD and two poles. For small CL
(load capacitance), we can assume the pole at node X is
dominant and use the dominant-pole approximation. If the
denominator is written as:

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 7

Common-Source Stage

Den  1 b1s  b2s    1


2 s  1 s   1 1s  le
t p1  p2

 1  s
2
 
     
 p1  p2  p1  p2 
p2 p1

1 1
The closer pole is:   
RS

1 g R CGD
 R C  RD CGD  CDB
 
p b1 m D S GS
1

b1 RS 1 gmRD CGD  RSCGS  RD CGD  CDB 

The second pole is:  
RSRD CG CGD  CGS CDB  CGD CDB 
p2
b2
S

The Miller approximation is a simplified dominant pole approximation.

The Miller approximation results in incorrect estimation for
the second pole.
This “output’’ pole approach is valid if CGS dominates the response.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 8

4
 Common-Source Stage

The transfer function also

exhibits a zero at s=gm/CGD
 it yields a serious
problem when it is used in
negative feedback
Feedback path through CGD.
configuration.

In high-speed applications, the input impedance of the

common-source stage is also important. First-order
approximation
Zin  1
   
CGS  1 gmRD CGD s

Calculation of input impedance of a CS stage.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 9

Common-Source Stage

At high frequencies, the effect of the output node must be

taken into account: (if CGS is negligible)

VX
IX

RD IX VX 1 RD CGD  CDB s
VX  XI  g V    Z  
CGD s1  RDCDBs
X in
m 1 RD CDB CGD IX
s s gmRD

At high frequencies
Zin  if RD CGD  CDB s  1
 1 g 1R C
s m D GD
At R C s  1 g R
 low frequencies
Z 1 R
in
gm
D
if D DB m D

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 10

5
 Source Follower
Source follower with output load CL:

V1CGS s  gm V1  Vout CLs

Vin  RS V1CGS s  V1  Vout CGD s V1  Vout

Vout gm  CGSs
V s R
 C C C C C C s2  g R C  C  C s  g
in S GS GS GD m S GD L GS m
L GD L

Not much intuition here, but for small CL, the followers usually have
a wide band.
If two poles are far apart, the dominant pole is:

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 11

Source Follower
Input
impedance: gmIX  1 1 
 IX
VX   IX   
C s C s g C s
GS  GS  mb L 
VX 1  gm  1
Zin  g  1  C s
IX GS  GS  mb L

1  gm  1
At low frequencies Zin  1 g  if gmb  CLs
 C
GS  mb  mb
1
At high frequencies   1 gm gm  C s
C 
Zin C s if
C s2 L

C s b

Output GS L GS L

impedance:
IX  gm V1  V1CGS s an VX  V1  V1CGS sRS 
d

VX R C s1
Z 
out  S GS
IX gm  CGS s

How does this impedance vary with frequency?

Source followers must lower the
output impedance, 1/gm<RS.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 12

6
 Source Follower
Example:
Calculate the transfer function of this circuit.

CX  CGD1  CDB2 , CXY  CGS1  CGD2 and CY  CSB1  CGS2  CL

V1CXYs  gm1V1  VoutCYs and V2  Vout

Vin  V1  Vout
 V  V C sg V VC s
1 out X m2 1 XY
RS out
Vout
s  gm1  CXYs


Vin RSs 2  CY  gm1RSCX  1 gm2RS CXY s  gm1 1 gm2RS 

,where
  CXCY  CXCXY  CYCXY

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 13

Source Follower
Can we represent Zout with a passive RL network? Since Zout is
first order, it can have only one inductor and no other stage
element. Considering the cases at f=0 and f=, we arrive at
this equivalent circuit:
R1  RS 
g1  1 
1
CGS sRS  gm 
m
R  1 
2 gm Zout 
CGS  gm  CGS s

gm
1 
L RS  
gm  gm

The inductive behavior resulting from finite source impedance
may cause significant ringing or even oscillation in the presence
of heavy load capacitance.

Ringing in step response of a source

follower with heavy capacitive load.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 14

7
 Common-Gate Stage
An important property of this circuit exhibit no Miller
multiplication of capacitances.

Vout
s1 gm  gmb RD
 gm 1
Vin
 gmb RS  CS 
1 s1 R C s
  R1  D D
 gm  S 
mbg

Z ZL
 1 
wher
e  1 
in
g g r g  ZL  RD  
g
 CDs 
m mb 0
m

mb

Therefore, wideband operation. But low input impedance. Also,

requires a low dc input level.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 15

Common-Gate Stage
Example:
Calculate the transfer function and the input impedance of this circuit.

 Vout CL sRS  Vin

V  V C s  V C sR  V  V 
1
in out L 1 in S 1 1 C R s

Vout  - Vout CL s  gm V1 r0

in S

 V1

Vout 1 gmr0
V s rC C R s2  r C  C R  1 g r C R s  1
in 0 L in S 0 L in m 0 L S
S

Z 1


1 1

 gm r0
in
gm  gm CL s
b gm b

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 16

8
Common-Gate Stage

9
 Cascode Stage

Miller effect is much less significant, why?

The pole at input  1
  g  
A:  p,A

R C  1 C m1

GS1
S
 GD1  g m2  g mb2  

Also a pole at node X, usually quite far. gm2  gmb2

The
pole at node X:  

p,X
2C C C C
GD1 DB1 SB2 GS2

Another pole at node Y, usually quite far.

pole at node Y: p,Y  1
The R C C C  D DB2 L GD2

Zout  1 gm2r02 ZX  r02 where Z  r1

X 01
CX s
Thus, Zout contains a pole at (r01CX)-1 and falls at frequencies
higher than this value.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 17

Cascode Stage
Example:
Calculate the transfer function of this circuit, where the load resistor
is replaced by an ideal current source and neglecting the
capacitances associated with M1.

 Vout CY s   IC s  
 gm2
V
r    V C s  Iin
Iin  
V V V C s  out Y

CX s out 02 out out Y

X
 Y CX s  CX s
 i 
Vout gm2r02  1 1 CY
 for g r  1 and g r  1
Iin m2 m2 02
CX 1 1 gm2r02   CYr02 02 CX
s CY
CX s
Vout gm2 1 Vout g g 1
   m1 m2
Iin C X s g CY  Vin C Y C X s gm2 
m2 Y s s
CX C CX

1
0
 Cascode Stage
Frequency Response of Amplifiers 18

1
1
 Common-Mode AC Response

Differential pair, half-circuit equivalent, and equivalent circuit for common-mode inputs.

1 1
r03
 CPs R D  R D CL s
r03

 1 
gm RD 
 CL s 
A v,CM   1 
gm1  gm2 r03C s   1
 P 

Total cap at node P = CGD3+CDB3+CSB1+CSB2

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 19

Common-Mode AC Response

Effect of high-frequency supply noise in differential pairs.

What happens to Av,CM at high-frequency?

If the supply voltage contains high-frequency noise and the circuit
exhibits mismatches, the resulting common-mode disturbance at
node P leads to differential noise component at the output.
What is the trade-off between CMRR and headroom?
To minimize the headroom consumed by M3, its width is
maximized, introducing substantial capacitance at the sources of
M1 and M2 and degrading the high-frequency CMRR. The issue
becomes more serious at low supply voltage.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 20

12
 Differential Pair with Active Load

(a) Differential pair with current-source load, (b) effect of

differential swings at node G, (c) half-circuit equivalent.

For differential signals:

Two poles:
 Miller effect at input
 Load capacitance at output

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 21

Differential Pair with Current Mirror Load

Three poles:
 Miller effect at input
 Load capacitance at
output

(a) Simplified high-frequency mode of differential  Time constant at node E

pair with active current mirror, (b) circuit of (a)
with a
Thevenin equivalent. 1
VX  gmNr0N and RX  V  CEs  gmP an Vx - VE
Vin 2r0N V V  d I

-Vg V I 
C s  1 
E out X
1 R X
X
Rx
m4 E
out  L CEs  gmP
X rop 
 
Vout gmNr0N 2gmP  CEs

V 2r r C C s2  2r  r C  r 1 2g r C s  2g r r 
in 0P 0N E 0N 0P E 0P mP 0N L mP 0N 0P
L

p1  2gmP r0N  1
 r0P 


2r0N  C  r 1
E 0P r C 0N
r0P C
mP 0
r0P 2g N L
 L

p2
2r0N  r0P CE  r0P 1 2gmPr0N CLr  gmP
2r r C C C
0P 0N E L E

13
 Differential Pair with Active Load
Frequency Response of Amplifiers 22

14
 Differential Pair with Current Mirror Load

V A
1 
  s 
 A 0 2  p2 
out
 0
 1   
V 
 1 s  1  
1 s s1  
in
  p1 s p1  p2 
 
p2

The appearance of the zero can be understood by noting that

the circuit consists of a “slow path” in parallel with a “fast
path”.

Frequency Response of Amplifiers 23

15