A Parallel-Path Amplifier for Fast Output Settling

• Pushing CMOS technology to the nanometer range is detrimental to analog circuits’ performance due to the reduction of gain and slew rate of amplifiers, so the classical approaches need to be revisited for adjustment in advanced nodes. This paper presents a parallel-path amplifier used as a switched-capacitor (SC) amplifier. The proposed amplifier includes a high bandwidth and slewing path parallel to a high gain path. The high bandwidth and slewing path, named the feedforward path, provides high charging/discharging currents to decrease the slewing time of the amplification phase, significantly (60%). In parallel, the high gain path provides sufficient open-loop DC gain for final settling (59 dB). The feedforward path is enabled/disabled by control signals provided through a hysteresis detector and by considering the status of the feedback voltage. The proposed amplifier is designed and fabricated in 65nm CMOS technology as a multiplying digital-to-analog converter (MDAC) in a pipeline ADC. The chip is under fabrication, and this paper covers post-layout performance of the proposed amplifier. The results reveal that enabling the feedforward path guarantees the amplifier to have a constant error (\lt2 mV) for an extensive range of input voltages (300 mV Vin 900 mV) compared to its standalone high gain path. At the same time, the static current of the feedforward path is minimal (\lt 100 µ A), and it can drive large load capacitors. © 2023 IEEE.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Elektroteknik och elektronik -- Telekommunikation (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering -- Telecommunications (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Bandwidth; CMOS integrated circuits; Feedback; CMOS technology; Digital-to-analog converters; Feedforward paths; High bandwidth; High gain; High-slewing path; Multiplying digital-to-analog converter; Nano meter range; Parallel path; Switched-capacitor amplifiers; Digital to analog conversion

Publication and Content Type

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