1

MOSFET Amplifiers and High-Frequency Performance

Small-Signal equivalent circuit:
In many applications, MOSFET is used as a linear (small-signal) amplifier
A small signal equivalent circuit for MOSFET is needed to analyze the
MOSFET frequency performance.
The equivalent circuit is constructed from the basic MOSFET geometry
Resistance and capacitances are incorporated
Input and output signals are assumed small as compared to the steady-state
DC current and voltage (operating point)
Operating point is based on the MOSFET I-Vs and circuit conditions
2
MOSFET amplifier: low operating frequencies
Simple FET amplifier circuit:
V
L
= I R
L
Voltage gain K
V
= V
L
/ V
G
= ( I R
L
) / V
G
K
V
= ( I / V
G
) R
L
= g
m
R
L
The larger the transconductance g
m
= I / V
G
,
the higher is the voltage gain K
V
g
m
is maximal in the saturation regime, i.e.
for V
D
> V
D sat
In the amplifier circuits, FETs usually work
in the saturation regime,
In this regime, current DOES NOT depend
on drain voltage.
Current is the function of the GATE
VOLTAGE ONLY.
I
1
I
S
3
0 2 4 6 8 10
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
V
G
= 1 V
V
G
= 2 V
V
G
= 3 V
V
G
= 4 V
I
D
,

m
A
V
D
, V
MOSFET operating point:
Effect of Load Resistance on the output Current amplitude
1. Load resistance R
L
= 5 kOhm
Consider the circuit with the drain bias
V
DD
= 10 V and the gate bias V
GG
= 3 V ;
10V
R
L
3V
Op. point: V
D
1.2 V; I
D
1.8 mA; g
m1
(2-1.5)mA/(4-2)V 0.25 mA/V;
2. Load resistance R
L
= 0.6 kOhm
Op. point: V
D
6.8 V; I
D
4.5 mA;
g
m2
(7-2.4)mA/(4-2)V 2.3 mA/V;
In MOSFET amplifiers, the operating point is normally in the saturation region
4
MOSFET Transfer Characteristics
In saturation regime, the drain current does not depend on the drain voltage
-1 0 1 2 3 4
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
V
D
>7 V
S
a
t
u
r
a
t
i
o
n

c
u
r
r
e
n
t
,

m
A
V
G
, V
The dependence I
Dsat
(V
G
) is called
the TRANSFER CHARACTERISTIC of MOSFET
0 2 4 6 8 10
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
V
G
= 1 V
V
G
= 2 V
V
G
= 3 V
V
G
= 4 V
I
D
,

m
A
V
D
, V
5
S
G
D
G
S
D
r
s
Source series
resistance
C
gs
Gate to source
capacitance
r
s
C
gs
C
gd
C
gd
Gate to drain
capacitance
g
m
V
gs
g
m
V
gs
r
d
Drain series
resistance
r
d
g
ds
Slope of I
D
vs V
ds
Input
signal
Output
signal
MOSFET amplifier: high operating frequencies
I
1
I
S
6
G
S
D
r
s
C
gs
C
gd
g
m
V
gs
r
d
g
ds
Simplified equivalent circuit diagram
C
gd
C
gs
v
gs
g
m
v
gs
+

+
+

v
i
v
o
ds
g
Assuming
r
d
, r
s
=0
7
MOSFET Gain
voltage gain
C
gd
C
gs
v
gs
g
m
v
gs
+

+
+

v
i
v
o
ds
g
Input voltage v
i
= v
gs
Output voltage v
o
= voltage across g
ds
v
o
can be found using superposition.
1) Assume v
i
= 0.
The output voltage component is v
01
The output current i
d
= i(g
ds
)+i(C
gd
)
i(g
ds
) = v
01
g
ds
; i(C
gd
) = v
01
jC
gd
From this, i
d
= v
01
(g
ds
+jC
gd
);
On the other hand, i
d
= - g
m
v
gs
Substituting i
d
, we obtain:
- g
m
v
gs
= v
01
(g
ds
+ jC
gd
);
I
d
I(Cg
d
)
01
m
gs
ds gd
g
v v
g j C

=
+
8
MOSFET Gain
voltage gain
C
gd
C
gs
v
gs
g
m
v
gs
+

+
+

v
i
v
o
ds
g
2) Now, turn off the current g
m
v
gs
The output voltage component is v
02
The voltage across g
ds
= 1/r
ds
:
v
02
= v
i
r
ds
/(r
ds
+ 1/jC
gd
) =
v
i
r
ds
jC
gd
/(jC
gd
r
ds
+ 1) =
v
i
jC
gd
/(jC
gd
+ 1/r
ds
) =
v
i
jC
gd
/(jC
gd
+ g
ds
);
02
gd
gs
ds gd
j C
v v
g j C

=
+
The total output voltage, v
0
= v
01
+ v
02
:
01
m
gs
ds gd
g
v v
g j C

=
+
0
m gd
gs
ds gd
g j C
v v
g j C

+
=
+
9
MOSFET Gain
voltage gain
C
gd
C
gs
v
gs
g
m
v
gs
+

+
+

v
i
v
o
ds
g
The voltage gain:
0
m gd
v
gs ds gd
g j C
v
A
v g j C

+
= =
+
The gate - drain capacitance is very low
in the saturation region. Hence,
0 m
v
gs ds gd
v g
A
v g j C

=
+
The voltage gain decreases with frequency when
;
gd ds
C g
m
v
gd
g
A
j C

Corresponding characteristic frequency:

2
ds
v
gd
g
f
C

At frequencies f > f
v
10
MOSFET Gain
C
gd
C
gs
v
gs
g
m
v
gs

+
+

v
i
i
L
short circuit current gain
A
i
=
i
L
i
i
=
g
m
j C
gs
+ C
gd
( )
C
gd
C
gs
v
gs
g
m
v
gs
+

+
+

v
i
v
o
ds
g
Output current, i
L
= i
0
= - g
m
v
gs
Input current, i
i
= i (C
gs
)+ i(C
gs
) =
= v
i
j C
gs
+ v
i
j C
gd
=
= v
i
j (C
gs
+ C
gd
);
Also note that v
i
= v
gs
;
Therefore: i
i
= v
i
j (C
gs
+ C
gd
);
The current gain: A
i
= i
0
/i
i
= i
L
/i
i
11
MOSFET current cutoff frequency f
T
f
T
is the frequency at which the modulus of the short circuit current gain is unity
f
T
=
g
m
2 C
gs
+ C
gd
( )
Assume that C
gs
+ C
gd
~ C
i
where C
i
=
i
WL/d
i
is the gate oxide capacitance.
Transconductance, g
m
Consider short-gate MOSFETs at high drain voltage.
In short-gate devices, the electron velocity is saturated: I
d
= q n
s
v
s
W
The transconductance: g
m
= dI
d
/dV
g
A
i
=
i
L
i
i
=
g
m
j C
gs
+ C
gd
( )
f
T
estimation
d s
m s
g g
I n
g q v W
V V

= =

From:
12
MOSFET current cutoff frequency f
T
Induced sheet carrier density in MOSFETs (see lecture #18):
From this,
d s i
m s s
g g
I n C
g q v W q v W
V V qWL

= = =



( ) ( )
i i
s GS T GS T
c C
n V V V V
q qWL
= =
i s
m
C v
g
L
=
( )
2 2
2
m i s s
T
i
gs gd
g C v v
f
LC L
C C

= = =
+
where W is the MOSFET width and L is the gate length
The cutoff frequency becomes:
13
f
T
= 1/ 2t
tr
Practical cut-off frequency must also include the parasitic and fringing
capacitances, Cp, which add to the gate capacitance:
f
T
=
g
m
2 C
gs
+ C
gd
+ C
p
( )
Note that, L/v
s
= t
tr
, the electron transit time under the gate
( )
2 2
2
m i s s
T
i
gs gd
g C v v
f
LC L
C C

= = =
+
Using this,
14
Maximum oscillation frequency, f
max
The cutoff frequency f
T
is a characteristic of the
intrinsic transistor (without parasitic series
resistances).
f
max
is the characteristic of the extrinsic device
(which includes series source, drain, input, and
gate resistances, R
s
, R
d
, R
i
, and Rg
f
max
is defined as the frequency at which the
power gain of the transistor is equal to unity
under optimum matching conditions for the input
and output impedances.
Simplified expression for f
max
is given by:
C
gd
C
gs
v
gs
g
m
v
gs
+

i
ds
g
R
R
s
R
g
R
d
Gate
Drain
Source
f
max

f
T
r + f
T

where
r = g
ds
R
s
+ R
i
+ R
d
( )
In MOSFETs with small parasitic resistances,
R
S
, R
i
and R
d
0
2
T T
max
g gd
T
f f
f
R C
f

=
= 2 R
g
C
gd
.