ASSIGNMENT II Amplifier with the buffer configuration

Problem statement
The amplifier block is to be designed to meet the defined specification of buffered amplifier. Buffered amplifier which provides the high input impedance to low output impedance. The design is to be implemented using UMC 180nm technology for a gain factor of 1. Tool: Cadence (Virtuoso Schematic and Layout Editor, Spectre and Assura DRC, LVS).

Specification:
Vdd : 1.8V +/- 10% ; Temp : -40 C to 125 C Vin CM : 1.2V Buffer Configuration : Gain factor of 1 Accuracy(Offset) : +/-5mV, Setting Time : 80ns Load Cap : 2pF DC Gain : 50dB, UGB : 10MHz

Objectives
To design the buffer configuration in differential amplifier for open loop gain of 50db and UGB=10MHz and evaluate the performance parameter .The layout of the amplifier is build.To understand the characteristics and applications of the buffer amplifier. The main characteristics under consideration are high gain, high PSRR, high output swing and UGB. Performance of any circuit depends upon these characteristics. At reduced supply voltages, output swing becomes an important parameter. At large supply voltages, there is a trade off among speed, power and gain.

Methodology
Literature survey of the amplifier architectures is carried out after going through various papers. All the devices used in the design were characterized and the required parameters like threshold voltage Vth,VDS and VGS of a transistor were extracted. After under-standing the working of amplifier, basic circuits were simulated with ideal conditions and specifications. Later with these specifications, the circuits are designed in Cadence Virtuoso schematic editor and simulated using ADE tool. The schematic and symbol representation for major units of buffered amplifier namely differential amplifier, current mirror is done and the behaviour of each unit is verified by transient, DC and AC analysis. The layout is designed and checked by running DRC and LVS using cadence virtuoso layout simulator.

Discussion CMOS Op amp

It is one of the most versatile and important building blocks in analog circuit design. Based upon the value of their output resistance they are being classified into two categories 1. UNBUFFERED OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER: These are Operational Transconductance Amplifiers (OTA), which have high output resistance. 2. BUFFERED OPERATIONAL AMLIFIER: These are Voltage Operational Amplifiers, which have low output resistance. Operational amplifiers are amplifiers (controlled sources) that have sufficiently high forward gain so that when negative feedback is applied, the Closed-loop transfer function is practically independent of the gain of the opamp. The primary requirement of an op-amp is to have an open loop gain that is sufficiently large to implement negative feed back concept.

Buffer amplifier
A buffer amplifier, or simply a buffer, is an electronic amplifier that is designed to have an amplifier gain of 1. Buffers are used in Impedance matching, the benefit of which is to maximize energy transfer between circuits or systems. The below fig1 shows the diagram of a voltage buffer. There are two main kinds of buffer circuits, Voltage buffers and Current buffers. The purposes of each is to isolate the mentioned characteristic to avoid

loading the input circuit or source from the output stage. Another name by which buffer amplifiers are known as is a voltage follower. The name is given because of the characteristic of the amplifier to output a signal of the same amplitude as the input (given the unity gain [gain of 1 or 0dB] ).

Fig 1

If the difference between V+ and V- is negligibly small so that V+ = V- we must have: Vout = Vin In this paper we are using the differential amplifier as the voltage follower circuit. The below fig2 shows the schematic of the differential amplifier in buffer configuration with the single ended output

Fig 2

Since the circuit employs the voltage feedback at the output, the output impedance is equal to the open loop value Ron Rop/(1+gm(Rop||Ron)) It is interesting to note that the closed loop output impedance is relative;y independent of th eopen loop impedance,allowing us to design high gain op amps by incereasing the open loop output impedance while still achieveing a relatively low closed loop output impedance.