LOW-NOISE WIDE-BAND AMPLIFIERS IN BIPOLARAND CMOS TECHNOLOGIES THE KLUWER INTERNATIONAL SERIES IN ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE VLSI, COMPUTER ARCIDTECTURE AND DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING Consulting Editor Jonathan Allen The Bounding Approach to VLSI Circuit Simulation, C.A. Zukowski, ISBN: G-89838-176-2 Multi-Level Simulation for VLSI Design, DD. Hill, D.K. Coelho, ISBN: 0-89838-184-3 Relaxation Techniques for the Simulation ofVLSI Circuits, J. White, A. Saugiov ....i -Vi.ce.telli, ISBN: 0-89838-186-X A VLSI Architecture for Concurrent Data Structures, W J. Dally, ISBN: G-89838-23S-1 Yield Simulation for Integrated Circuits, D.M.H. Walker, ISBN: 0-89838-244-0 VLSI Specification, Verification and Synthesis, G. Birtwisde, P.A. Subrahmanyan, ISBN: 0-89838-246-7 Serial Data Computatiol~ K.W. Church, ISBN: G-89838-25O-S Simulated Annealing for VLSI Design, D.F. Wong, H W. Leong, C.L. Liu, ISBN: ()'89838-259-9 FET Modeling for Circuit Simulation, D. 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Woods, Editor, ISBN: 0-7923-9093-8 LOW-NOISE WIDE-BAND AMPLIFIERS IN BIPOIARAND CMOS TECHNOLOGIES by Zhong Yuan Chang Catholic University Leuven Willy M. C. Sansen Catholic University Leuven SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Chang, Zhong Yuan. Low-noise wide-band amplifiers in bipolar and CMOS technologies / by Zhong Yuan Chang, Willy M.C. Sansen. p. cm. - (The Kluwer international series in engineering and computer science ; SECS 117.) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4419-5124-3 ISBN 978-1-4757-2126-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4757-2126-3 1. Linear integrated circuits-Design and construction. 2. Broadband amplifiers. 3. Metal oxide semiconductors, Complementary. 4. Bipolar transistors. 1. Sansen, Willy M. C. II. Title. III. Series. TK7874.C425 1991 621.39 , 732-dc20 90-19259 CIP Copyright 1991 by Springer Science+Business Media New York Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1991 AII rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmi tted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photo-copying, record ing, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, Springer Science+-Business Media, LLC . Printed on acid-free paper. CONTENTS PREFACE ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................. 1 CHAPTER 2 NOISE IN INTEGRATED CIRCUITS -MECHANISMS AND MODELS .............................. 7 2.1 Introduction ............................................................. 7 2.2 Noise Sources in MOS Transistors .................................. 8 2.2.1 Channel Thermal Noise Mechanism ......................... 9 2.2.2 Ilf Noise in MOS Transistors ................................ 12 2.2.3 Additional Noise Sources ..................................... 21 2.2.4 Equivalent Input Noise Generators .......................... 25 2.3 Noise in Bipolar Junction Transistors ............................... 27 2.3.1 Shot Noise in BJT transistors ................................ 28 2.3.2 Ilf Noise in BJT Transistors ................................. 31 2.3.3 Equivalent Input Noise Generators .......................... 33 2.4 Low-Noise Amplifiers with Resistive Sources .... ....... .......... 35 2.4.1 Low-Noise Transimpedance Amplifiers .................... 36 2.4.2 Low-Noise Voltage Amplifiers .............................. 39 2.5 Measurement of Iff Noise in MOSFETs and BJTs ................ 41 2.5.1 Measurement System ......................................... 41 2.5.2 Measurement of Ilf Noise in MOSFETs .................... 43 2.5.3 Measurement of Ilf Noise in BJTs .......................... 49 2.6 Conclusions ............................................................. 49 CHAPTER 3 LOW-NOISE WIDE-BAND AMPLIFIERS WITH INDUCTIVE SOURCES: LAMPS ............................ 55 3.1 Introduction ............................................................. 55 3.2 Low-Noise LAMPs in Bipolar Technology ......................... 57 vi COlltellt. 3.2.1 Choice of Feedback Configurations ......................... 57 3.2.2 Stability and Signal Transfer Conditions ................... 59 3.2.3 Low-Noise Design in BIT Technology..................... 69 3.2.4 Experimental Results .......................................... 74 3.3 Low-Noise LAMPs in CMOS Technology......................... 76 3.3.1 CMOS vs Bipolar Process .................................... 76 3.3.2 Low-Noise Design in CMOS Technology .................. 79 3.3.3 Design of CMOS LAMPs .................................... 84 3.3.4 CMOS Non-Inverting Output Stages ........................ 87 3.4 Low-Noise LAMPs in BiCMOS Technology...................... 91 3.4.1 New Core Amplifier Topology .............................. 91 3.4.2 Noise and Offset of Symmetrical Output Stages ........... 95 3.5 Conclusions ............................................................. 97 CHAPTER 4 LOW-NOISE WIDE-BAND AMPLIFIERS WITH CAPACITIVE SOURCES: CAMPS .......................... 103 4.1 Introduction ...... ... ....... ..... ... ....... ... ....... ... ..... ..... ....... 103 4.2 Low-Noise CAMPs in CMOS Technology......................... 105 4.2.1 Feedback Topology and Transfer Function ................ 107 4.2.2 Low-Noise Design of Input Stage ........................... 109 4.2.3 Low-Distortion Output Stage ................................. 112 4.2.4 Compensation of Three Stage Amplifiers ................... 116 4.2.5 DC Bias Considerations ...................................... 120 4.2.6 Experimental Results ........................................... 122 4.3 Low-Noise CAMPs in BiCMOS Technology...................... 124 4.3.1 Bipolar vs MOS Input Stage ................................. 124 4.3.2 Two Stage Inverting Amplifier Structures .................. 127 4.3.3 Output Driving Capability.................................... 132 4.3.4 Wide-Band Amplifiers for SW receivers ................... 139 4.3.5 Experimental Results .......................................... 145 4.4 Conclusions ............................................................. 147 Contents vii CHAPTER 5 LOW·NOISE HIGH·SPEED CMOS DETECTOR READOUT ELECTRONICS .................................... 153 5.1 Introduction ............................................................. 153 5.2 Maximal Resolution in CMOS Technology ......................... 155 5.2.1 Calculation of Resolution ENCs ............................ 157 5.2.2 Input Noise Matching Conditions ........................... 163 5.2.3 Optimal Pulse Shapers Characteristics ...................... 169 5.3 Design of Analog CMOS Readout Electronics ..................... 172 5.3.1 Design Criteria of CSAs ...................................... 173 5.3.2 Design Criteria of S·G Shapers .............................. 181 5.3.3 Class-AB Buffers for MCA .................................. 188 5.4 Experimental Results .................................................. 191 5.5 Conclusions ............................................................ 194 APPENDIX A Measurement of ENC .................................. 196 CHAPTER 6 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS ................................... 201 INDEX 209 Preface Analog circuit design has grown in importance because so many circuits cannot be realized with digital techniques. Examples are receiver front-ends, particle detector circuits, etc. Actually, all circuits which require high precision, high speed and low power consumption need analog solutions. High precision also needs low noise. Much has been written already on low noise design and optimization for low noise. Very little is available however if the source is not resistive but capacitive or inductive as is the case with antennas or semiconductor detectors. This book provides design techniques for these types of optimization. This book is thus intended firstly for engineers on senior or graduate level who have already designed their first operational amplifiers and want to go further. It is especially for engineers who do not want just a circuit but the best circuit. Design techniques are given that lead to the best performance within a certain technology. Moreover, this is done for all important technologies such as bipolar, CMOS and BiCMOS. Secondly, this book is intended for engineers who want to understand what they are doing. The design techniques are intended to provide insight. In this way, the design techniques can easily be extended to other circuits as well. Also, the design techniques form a first step towards design automation. Thirdly, this book is intended for analog design engineers who want to become familiar with both bipolar and CMOS technologies and who want to learn more about which transistor to choose in BiCMOS. Fourthly, this book is written for analog designers by analog designers. It is not theoretical nor empirical nor descriptive. It is about analog design with all its benefits for the ever developing creative mind of analog circuit designers. Leuven, Belgium Z.Y. Chang W. Sansen LOW-NOISE WIDE-BAND AMPLIFIERS IN BIPOLARAND CMOS TECHNOLOGIES 1 INTRoDucTION In low level integrated signal processing systems such as transducer systems, detector readout systems, radio receivers, etc, electrical noise is a fundamental limiting factor. For instance, the maximum sensitivity of AM/FM receivers or the best resolution of Silicon-detector readout systems is fully determined by the electrical noise. In the design of such systems, it is of crucial importance to optimize the noise performance of preamplifiers, as in a well designed system the noise performance of an entire system is always dominated by the preamplifier noise. Much is known already about noise optimization of amplifier stages with resistive source. However, the signal source for such detection systems is in most cases of reactive type. This is a result of the necessary signal conversion from for example an electromagnetic field strength to a continues electrical voltage or current. This means that now the signal source at the preamplifier input cannot be represented by a resistance but by an inductance or a capacitance in series (parallel) with a voltage source (current source). Since the noise performance of an amplifier depends on the source impedance, which varies with frequency, the best noise matching for a reactive source will vary as a function of frequency as well. Noise matching means that the total equivalent input noise is minimized for a given signal source impedance. The concept of equivalent input noise density or spectrum, which is the Fourier transform of the autocorrelation function of noise random process, is used rather than the noise figure. The reason is that the noise figure is only useful when the source impedance is of resistive type having a certain fixed and well determined value. It is completely meaningless however for reactive sources. Furthermore, the concept of equivalent input noise spectrum allows easy determiniation and optimization of the signal-noise ratio of the system. In discrete realizations, noise matching has been obtained by such means as transformer coupling, input reactive tuning, paralleling several specially selected input