Fully-differential

amplifiers

Willy Sansen
KULeuven, ESAT-MICAS
Leuven, Belgium
[Link]@[Link]

Willy Sansen 10-05 081

Table of contents

• Requirements
• Fully-diff. amps with linear MOSTs
• FDA’s with error amp.& source followers
• Folded cascode OTA without SF’s
• Other fully-differential amps
• Exercise

Willy Sansen 10-05 082

Single-stage OTA

VDD VDD
VB1 VB1

M1 M2 M1 M2
- + - +
iCirc iCirc
vOUT
- + -
VB2
M3 M4 M3 M4
VSS VSS

Willy Sansen 10-05 083

Simple CMOS fully-differential OTA
VDD Differential pair
M5
VB1 No current mirror
gm1
GBW =
3 M2 2π CL
vIN+ M1 vIN-
Problem:
vOUT- vOUT+
VB2 keep M1-4 in
CL 2 1 CL saturation:
M3 M4

VSS Control VOUTCOM

Control IDS5
Willy Sansen 10-05 084
Simple CMOS fully-diff. OTA with CMFB - 1
VDD
M5
VB
IB

vIN+ 3 M2 vIN-
M1
4
vOUT- vOUT+ 2

CL 2 5
1
CL
M3 M4

VSS
Control VOUTCOM, IDS5
Willy Sansen 10-05 085
Simple CMOS fully-diff. OTA withy CMFB - 2
VDD
M5 B2 : 1

vIN+ 3 M2 vIN-
M1

vOUT- vOUT+ 4
VB
CL 2 1 2
CL
M3 M4

VSS
Control VOUTCOM, IDS5
Willy Sansen 10-05 086
Common-mode feedback equivalent circuit
VDD
M5 B2 : 1

5
3

M1,2 vINCM
vOUTCM 4
VB
1 2
2 CL
M3,4 M5,6

VSS 1 : B1
Control VOUTCOM, IDS5
Willy Sansen 10-05 087
Common-mode feedback CMFB

Ad voutd vinc Ac
+ - +
vind A +
- + -
CL CL

CMFB in unity gain : CMRR = AvCM

Three tasks : 1. Measure the output voltages

2. Cancel out the differential signals
3. Close the CMFB loop
Willy Sansen 10-05 088
Requirements fully-differential amplifiers

• High speed : GBWCM > GBWDM

• Matching
• Output swing limited by :
• Output swing of differential-mode amp
• Input range of common-mode amp
• Low power PCM < PDM

Willy Sansen 10-05 089

Load capacitance ?
CF CF

CS CL CS
+
+ +- +-
vIN Gm CM vOUT Gm
- -+ - -+

CS CS

CF CF

Willy Sansen 10-05 0810

Load capacitance CIN
CF

CL CS
+

vIN CM vOUT
-
CS

CF

Willy Sansen 10-05 0811

Load capacitance CINDM
CF

CL CS
+

vINDM CM vOUT
-
CS

CF
CF + CL + CS
CINDM = CM +
2

Willy Sansen 10-05 0812

Load capacitance CINCM
CF

CL CS
+

vINCM CM vOUT
-
CS

CF

CINCM = 2 (CF + CL + CS) > CINDM

Willy Sansen 10-05 0813

GBWDM & GBWCM

IB IB
v- v+ v- v+
CL

vOUT+ vOUT- vOUT+ vOUT-

R R 2CL R R 2CL

gm gm
GBWDM = GBWDM =
2π 2CL 2π 2CL
CLCM = 0 CLCM = 4 CL
Willy Sansen 10-05 0814
Table of contents

• Requirements
• Fully-diff. amps with linear MOSTs
• FDA’s with error amp.& source followers
• Folded cascode OTA without SF’s
• Other fully-differential amps
• Exercise

Willy Sansen 10-05 0815

CMFB amplifier with linear MOSTs
Linear MOSTs:
VDD VDS3 ≈ 200 mV
Vr1
IDS = β VDS(VGS-VT)
CL M2 CL
gm3 = β VDS3
+ -
M1
gm1
GBWDM =
2π CL
gm3
M3 GBWCM =
VSS 2π CL
is always smaller !
Willy Sansen 10-05 0816
Fully-differential amp. with linear MOSTs

B : 2 : B VDD Linear MOSTs:

M5 M7 M5
VDS5 ≈ 200 mV
Vbias Cancel diff. signals
M6
CL CL gm1
+ M1 - GBWDM = B
2π CL
M4 gm5
GBWCM =
2π CL
M2 M3
VSS is always smaller !
B:1 1:B
even with M5 in wi !
Willy Sansen 10-05 0817
Fully-differential amp. with linear MOSTs

Linear MOSTs:
VDS3 ≈ 200 mV
Ref. Choi, JSSC, Dec.83, 652-653
Willy Sansen 10-05 0818
Total amplifier schematic

[Link] etal, CICC 1997

Willy Sansen 10-05 0819

Fully-differential OTA with FF

850 MHz
1.2 µm CMOS
F. Op’t Eynde, Kluwer Ac. 1993
Willy Sansen 10-05 0820
Transconductor with C DG compen.

VDS1 = RDID ≈ 0.2 V

IDS1 = β1VDS1(VGS1-VT)

gm1 = β1VDS1 is constant

Ref. Alini, JSSC, Dec.92, pp.1905-1915

Willy Sansen 10-05 0821

Table of contents

• Requirements
• Fully-diff. amps with linear MOSTs
• FDA’s with error amp.& source followers
• Folded cascode OTA without SF’s
• Other fully-differential amps
• Exercise

Willy Sansen 10-05 0822

Fully-differential amplifier with resistive CMFB

IB
Av = gm1 (R // ro )
M1 M1
ro = ro1//ro2

vin1 R R vin2
vo1 vo2

Linear resistors R
M2 To cancel
differential signals

Willy Sansen 10-05 0823

Fully-diff. amp. with source followers: Diff. mode

GBWDM =
gm1
2π CL

CL= 4 pF

Ref. Banu, JSSC, Dec.88, 1410-1414

Willy Sansen 10-05 0824
Fully-diff. amp. with source followers: CM

GBWCM =
Ca gm6
4π CL
Ra

fndCM =

4
2πRa(CGS6+Ca)
1
fz =
2πRaCa
Ref. Banu, JSSC, Dec.88, 1410-1414
Willy Sansen 10-05 0825
Table of contents

• Requirements
• Fully-diff. amps with linear MOSTs
• FDA’s with error amp.& source followers
• Folded cascode OTA without SF’s
• Other fully-differential amps
• Exercise

Willy Sansen 10-05 0826

Fully-diff amp. with error amplifier: Diff. mode

gm1
GBWDM =
2π Cc
Ref. Ribner, CICC 85; Haspeslagh, CICC 88
Willy Sansen 10-05 0827
Fully-diff amp. with error amp. : Common mode

Nonlinear !
gm58
GBWCM =
4π Cc
Ref. Ribner, CICC 85; Haspeslagh, CICC 88
Willy Sansen 10-05 0828
Class AB fully-differential amplifier

Ref. Lee, JSSC

Dec.85, 1103-1113

Willy Sansen 10-05 0829

Comparison

Criterion Linear Error amp Error amp.

MOST Source foll. Quad amp.

GBWCM/GBWDM < 0.1 >1 >1

Required tol. <1% <6% <6%

[Link] swing 0.8 VDDSS 0.4 VDDSS 0.4 VDDSS

Is limited by cascodes source foll. cm input

Power dissipation 1 amp 3 amps 2 amps

Willy Sansen 10-05 0830

Table of contents

• Requirements
• Fully-diff. amps with linear MOSTs
• FDA’s with error amp.& source followers
• Folded cascode OTA without SF’s
• Other fully-differential amps
• Exercise

Willy Sansen 10-05 0831

Fully-differential amplifier with gain boosting

Willy Sansen 10-05 0832

Low-voltage (1.1 V) DIDO

Gata, JSSC Dec.02

1670-1678

Willy Sansen 10-05 0833

Linear CM amplifier

VoutCM = VDC + VGS7

Ref. Hernandez, JSSC

Aug.05, 1610-1617

Willy Sansen 10-05 0834

[Link]. with separate linear [Link]

Av = 0.3

Linear MOSTs

24 MHz/ 3 pF 3 V/ 5 mA IDS1 = 0.25 mA Comp 4 kΩ/ 2 pF > 20 MHz

Ref. Pasch, AICSP, 2000

Willy Sansen 10-05 0835

CMFB over 2 or more amplifiers

CL1 CL2
+ +- +-
vIN CM vOUT1 CM vOUT2
- -+ -+
CL1 CL2

vCM
Efficient use of 2nd amplifier !
Ref. Mohieldin, JSSC April 2003, 663-668

Willy Sansen 10-05 0836

CMFB over 2 pseudo-differential amps

vCM M5 vCM
M6
M7

CL CL
+ -
+ M1 -

M4 M3
M2

B : 1 1 : B

Willy Sansen 10-05 0837

Fully-differential amplifier with SC CMFB

Willy Sansen 10-05 0838

Fully-differential amp. with SC CMFB : Φ1

Switches
φ1H closed
gives CMFB
and
precharge C

Willy Sansen 10-05 0839

Fully-differential amp. with SC CMFB : Φ2

Switches
φ2H closed
gives CMFB
and
precharge C

Willy Sansen 10-05 0840

Table of contents

• Requirements
• Fully-diff. amps with linear MOSTs
• FDA’s with error amp.& source followers
• Folded cascode OTA without SF’s
• Other fully-differential amps
• Exercise

Willy Sansen 10-05 0841

Fully-differental folded cascode with source foll.

M4 1 : 1 M4 1 M4 VDD

- IB1 +
M5 5 5 M5
Vr1 Vr1 4
CL CL
2 M3 + M1 - M3 2 M7
Vr2

1 1
M6 IB2
M6
M2

Ra Ra VSS
3

Willy Sansen 10-05 0842

Fully-diff. amp. : Specifications
Techn: CMOS Lmin = 0.8 µm ; VT = 0.7 V
K'n = 60 µA/V2 & K'p = 30 µA/V2
VEn = 4 V/µm & VEp = 6 V/µm

Specs: GBWDM = 10 MHz CL = 3 pF

GBWCM = 20 MHz
all PM > 70o
VDD/VSS = ± 1.5 V
Maximum Vswingptp = Voutmax - Voutmin
Minimum Itot
Verify: Slew Rate, Noise, ...

Willy Sansen 10-05 0843

Fully-diff. folded cascode in BICMOS

M4 1 : 1 M4 1 M4 VDD

- IB1 +
M5 5 5 M5
Vr1 Vr1 4
CL CL
2 M3 + M1 - M3 2 M7
Vr2

1 1
M6 IB2
M6
M2

Ra Ra VSS
3

Willy Sansen 10-05 0844

Fully-diff. amp. : Specifications
Techn: BICMOS Lmin = 0.8 µm ; VT = 0.7 V
K'n = 60 µA/V2 & K'p = 30 µA/V2
VEn = 4 V/µm & VEp = 6 V/µm
fTn = 12 GHz & fTp = 4 GHz

Specs: GBWDM = 10 MHz CL = 3 pF

GBWCM = 20 MHz
all PM > 70o
VDD/VSS = ± 1.5 V
Maximum Vswingptp = Voutmax - Voutmin
Minimum Itot
Verify: Slew Rate, Noise, ...
Willy Sansen 10-05 0845
Table of contents

• Requirements
• Fully-diff. amps with linear MOSTs
• FDA’s with error amp.& source followers
• Folded cascode OTA without SF’s
• Other fully-differential amps
• Exercise

Willy Sansen 10-05 0846