High speed op amp with different

compensation technique

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Overview
Introduction
Objective
Literature Survey
Frequency Compensation
Compensation Techniques
Design plan
Results
Layout
Conclusion
References

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Introduction

Op Amps are the most versatile and integral part of many

analog and mixed signal system.

They are employed from dc bias application to high speed

amplifiers and filters

General purpose op amps can be used as summer, buffer,

integrator, differentiator, comparators and many other
applications

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Transient Frequency
The expression for a short channel MOSFET transition
frequency (fT) and open-loop gain (gm*ro) are given as

Important!!

Therefore from the above eqn we can

see that scaling down of feature size
results in higher fT

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Biasing for high speed

Must use minimum length devices

Larger overdrive results in faster circuits

- Drawback is that the devices enter the triode region earlier
For minimum power use minimum size devices
- For nm CMOS minimum (drawn) W is, generally, 10 times
minimum L

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Open loop gain trends in future

CMOS process

The projection of open-loop voltage gain drops

from CMOS
transistors.
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Objective

To design the high speed two stage op amp

with different types of compensation circuits
like
1. with nulling resistor
2. with voltage follower
3. with current buffer

and the optimized layout design.

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Specification
Parameters

Target

Supply voltage

= 1.8V +/- 10%

Vin,cm

=1.2V +/-10%

DC gain

> 50dB

UGB

> 1GHz

PM

> 60deg

Settling time

< 3ns

CL

1pF

Technology

= 130nm

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Literature survey
Stability of an
opamp

Closed loop
response

Barkhausens Criteria.

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Time-Domain Response of a
System Versus Position of Poles

The location of the poles of a closed

Loop system is shown
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One-Pole System
(one-pole feed forward amplifier)

one pole system is

Unconditionally
Stable.
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Two-Pole System

When is reduced,
the system becomes
more stable.
Assumption:
does not depend
on frequency.

The system is stable since the

loop gain is less than 1 at a frequency
For which the angle(H())=-180.
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The pole locations of the classical second-order homogeneous

system

The locations of the poles are

If =0, s1,2=p1,p2

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If 1, corresponding to an
overdamped system, the two
poles are real and lie in the lefthalf
plane

For an underdamped system, 0 <

1, the poles form a complex
conjugate pair,

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Transient Response Versus

PM

Peaking is usually correlated with ringing in

the time domain!

PM=60o, usually the optimum value.

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Frequency Compensation

Reason for frequency compensation:

|H()| does not drop to unity when <H()
reaches -180o.
Possible Solution:
(Push PX Out)

(push GX in)

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Miller Theorem

The method that transforms a floating capacitor to

two grounded capacitors, thereby allowing association
of one pole with each node

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Two stage OTA

Without Rz

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Small signal analysis

The small signal transfer function for

the two stage miller compensation

Compensation capacitor (Cc)

between the output of the gain
stages causes pole-splitting and
achieves dominant pole
compensation.
The first pole is located at

The second pole is located at

An RHP zero exists at

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Pole splitting with Cc

Pole splitting with gm2

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What is the origin of

the positive zero??

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Origin of positive zero

This is the result of the
feedforward current
which adds extra phase
margin -90deg

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Types of compensation
techniques
The different types of compensation circuit to remove zero is

With nulling resistor

With current buffer

With voltage buffer

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With the nulling resistor

This resistor causes some
cancellation of the effect of the
feedforward by the
feedback.
If Rc=1/gm2 ; Z=infinity
If Rc>1/gm2 ; Z=LHP

Z=1/Rc*Cc

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Max and Min Rc

Let us assume that
Z>=10GBW

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Design plan
Let us assume that
Z>=10GBW
For 60deg phase margin we have
Cc>0.22CL
I5=SR*Cc

For M5

For M6

For M3,M4
For M3,M4

For M1,M2
Gain

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Another choice of Rc is to make z1 cancel

P2:
z1=gm6/CC(1-gm6Rz) - gm6/(CL+C1)
CC+CL+C1
Rc =
gm6CC

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Optimum design for high

GBW
WKT

Assume

Therefore

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Nulling resistor

Devices
(W/L)1,2

Values
(W/L)um
12/0.4

(W/L)3,4

42/0.8

(W/L)5

18/1

(W/L)6

22/0.16

(W/L)7

23/1
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With current buffer

The compensation current is indirectly feedback from low impedance

node
The RHP pole zero can be eliminated as the feedforward current is
blocked by the common gate amplifier
Node V1 is now not loaded by the compensation capacitor (as previously)
and thus results in a much faster second stage and increased unity gain
frequency
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Small Signal Analysis

TAKING KCL AT EACH

NODE

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Simplified Transfer
Function
The transfer function can be
simplified and approximated as:-

The coefficients can be evaluated

as
Evaluating the poles and zeros
Assuming the pole |p1| >> |p2|, |p3|

The denominator can now be

approximated

Complex Poles
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bserving the Pole/Zero

Locations

The third order transfer function as 3 poles and 1 zero

Dominant Pole location
Remains at the same location

Non-dominant poles are complex conjugate

Condition For complex Poles

LHP Zero Location

Improves Phase Margin

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Analytical Results Summary

Complex
conjugate

Pole / Zero Location

X
Z=UGB
X

X
Dominat pole

Quick Facts
Complex P2,P3 moved to much
higher frequency
Z=UGB

Complex Poles Condition

LHP zero improves the phase

margin near UGB
Much faster op-amp with lower
power and CC
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Design plan
gm2

<-Noise

Cc

<- UGB

Id1

<-SR=Id1/Cc

(W/L)1,2

P2=2UGB<-For 60deg PM
gm2

<-gm2=4gm1

Id2

<-SR=Id2/CL

(W/L)6

Gmc=gm1 <-Assume Z=UGB

Id1=Idc

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Current buffer

Devices
(W/L)1,2

Values
(W/L)um
72/0.8

(W/L)3,4

48/0.8

(W/L)5

12/1

(W/L)6

84/0.15

(W/L)7

36/1

(W/L)8 (CG)

12/0.6

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Voltage buffer

Devices
(W/L)1,2

Values
(W/L)um
16/0.8

(W/L)3,4

38/0.8

(W/L)5

16/1

(W/L)6

34/0.15

(W/L)7

26/1

(W/L)8 (VB)

14/0.6

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Results

With current buffer

DC GAIN
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Settling time

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Slew Rate

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Current buffer
Parameter
UGB

Simulated
values
1GHz

DC gain

59.8dB

PM

61.12deg

Cc

0.4pF

Settling time

3.4ns(2%)

Slew Rate

707V/us

Pdiss

2.66mW

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With nulling resistor

Parameter
UGB

Nulling
resistor
235MHz

DC gain

61dB

PM

60.15deg

Cc

1.2pF

Pdiss

1.94mW

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With voltage follower

Parameter
UGB

Nulling
resistor
478MHz

DC gain

54dB

PM

60.9deg

Cc

0.7pF

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Comparison
Parameter
UGB

Nulling
resistor
235MHz

Voltage
follower

Current buffer

478.84MHz

1GHz

DC gain

61dB

54.4dB

59.8dB

PM

60.15deg

60.9deg

61.12deg

Cc

1.2pF

700fF

400fF

Pdiss

1.94mW

2.22mW

2.66mW

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Layout of current buffer

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Conclusion
The three compensated OTA is compared
with gain, UGB, Power dissipation,PM.
We can observe that Cc of current buffer is
reduced to 0.4fF when compared to Cc of
nulling resistor of 1.2pF.
Current buffer compensated OTA there is
improvement in the gain, UGB, PM and area
requirement is also less compared to nulling
resistor compensated OTA.

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References
[1] G. Palmisano, and G. Palumbo, A compensation strategy for two-stage CMOS
opamps based on current buffer, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems IFundamental Theory and Applications, vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 257-262, Mar, 1997.
[2] P. E. Allen, and D. R. Holberg, CMOS analog circuit design, 2nd ed., New York: Oxford
University Press, 2002.
[3] B. K. Ahuja, An Improved Frequency Compensation Technique for CMOS OperationalAmplifiers, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 629-633, 1983.
[4] H. Lee, and P. K. T. Mok, Active-feedback frequency-compensation technique for lowpower multistage amplifiers, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 38, no. 3, pp.
511-520, 2003.
[5] P. J. Hurst, S. H. Lewis, J. P. Keane et al., Miller compensation using current buffers in
fully differential CMOS two-stage operational amplifiers, IEEE Transactions on
Circuits and Systems I-Regular Papers, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 275-285, 2004.
[6] H. Mahattanakul, and J. Chutichatuporn, Design procedure for two-stage CMOS
opamp with flexible noise-power balancing scheme, IEEE Transactions on Circuits
and Systems I-Regular Papers, vol. 52, no. 8, pp. 1508-1514, 2005.

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THANK YOU

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