Whites, EE 320

Lecture 34

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Lecture 34: MOSFET Common Gate

Amplifier.
Well continue our discussion of discrete MOSFET amplifiers
we began with the common source amplifier in Lectures 31 and
32.
Here well cover the common gate amplifier, which is shown in
Fig. 4.45. It has a grounded gate terminal, a signal input at the
source terminal, and the output taken at the drain.

(Fig. 4.45a)

Small-Signal Amplifier Characteristics

As weve done with previous amplifiers in this course, well
calculate the following small-signal quantities for this MOSFET
2009 Keith W. Whites

Whites, EE 320

Lecture 34

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common gate amplifier: Rin, Av, Avo, Gv, Gi, Ais, and Rout. To
begin, we construct the small-signal equivalent circuit:

(Fig. 4.45b)
The T model was used since we ignored ro while Rsig appears in
series with 1/gm.
Input resistance, Rin. Because the gate is grounded, we can see
directly from this small-signal equivalent circuit that
1
Rin =
(4.91),(1)
gm

Actually, this result may not be that readily apparent to you

since while the gate is grounded, the current in the gate is zero
( ig = 0 ).
To verify this result in (1), we can apply a voltage source vx at
the source terminal and calculate the ratio of this voltage to

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Lecture 34

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the current directed into the source terminal, which well

define as ix:
vo

i = g m vgs

At the input to this circuit

vx 0
= ix ix = g mvgs
1 / gm
This current ix doesnt flow through the gate terminal! Instead,
ix flows through the dependent source, then to ground. Indeed,
we see that
ix = g mvgs = i
Tricky! In any event, the input resistance in (1) has been
verified.
Partial small-signal voltage gains, Av and Avo. At the output
side of the small-signal circuit
vo = g m vgs ( RD || RL )
(2)
At the input, we can see that because the gate is grounded

Whites, EE 320

Lecture 34

vi = vgs

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(3)

Substituting (3) into (2), gives the partial small-signal AC

voltage gain to be
v
Av o = g m ( RD || RL )
(4.94),(4)
vi
In the case of an open circuit load ( RL ), the small-signal
voltage gain becomes
Avo Av R = g m RD
(4.95),(5)
L

Overall small-signal voltage gain, Gv. Using voltage division

at the input to the small-signal equivalent circuit
Rin
vi =
vsig
(6)
Rin + Rsig
Substituting this into
Gv

vo
v v
v
= i o = i Av
vsig vsig vi vsig
N

(7)

= Av

gives the overall small-signal voltage gain of this common

gate amplifier to be
v
Rin
Gv o =
g m ( RD || RL )
(4.96a),(8)
vsig Rin + Rsig
More specifically, using (1) in this expression
g ( R || R )
Gv = m D L
1 + g m Rsig

(4.96b),(9)

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Lecture 34

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Overall small-signal current gain, Gi. Using current division

at the output in the small-signal circuit above
RD
io =
g m vgs
(10)
RD + RL
Because ig = 0 , then at the input we see that
ii = g mvgs
(11)
Substituting (11) into (10) gives the overall small-signal AC
current gain to be
i
RD
Gi o =
(12)
ii RD + RL
Short-circuit small-signal current gain, Ais. The short circuit
small-signal AC current gain can be easily determined from
(12) with RL = 0 as
Ais Gi R =0 = 1
(13)
L

Output resistance, Rout. From the small-signal circuit above

with vsig = 0 we find that i = 0 since the gate is grounded.
Consequently,
Rout = RD
(4.97),(14)

Summary
In summary, we find for the CG small-signal amplifier:
o A non-inverting amplifier.

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Lecture 34

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o Moderate input resistance [see (1)].

o Moderately large small-signal voltage gain [see (9)], but
smaller than CS amplifier.
o Small-signal current gain less than one [see (12)].
o Potentially large output resistance (dependent on RD)
[see (14)].

Similar to the BJT CB amplifier we discussed in Lecture 20, the

CG amplifier finds use as a current buffer amplifier. It has the
relatively small input resistance, relatively large output
resistance, and Gi less than (and potentially near) one
characteristics of such amplifiers. (Does this amplifier provide
any power gain for a signal?)

Example N34.1 (based on text exercise 4.34). Use the circuit of

Fig. E4.30 to design a common gate amplifier. Find Rin, Rout, Avo,
Av, Gv, and Gi for RL = 15 k and Rsig = 50 . What will the
overall voltage gain become for Rsig = 50 ? 10 k? 100 k?

The DC analysis results are shown in Fig. E4.30:

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Lecture 34

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(Fig. E4.30)
Using (4.71)
gm =

2 I D 2 0.5 m
=
= 1 mS
VOV 2.5 1.5

Based on this DC biasing, the corresponding common gate

amplifier circuit is:

vO

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Lecture 34

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The small-signal equivalent circuit for this amplifier is:

D

g m vgs
G

4.7 M

vo

RD=
15 k

RL=
15 k

ig=0
1/gm

Rout

Rsig
+
vsig
-

Rin

The 4.7-M resistor functions to force the gate to ground

potential. But since ig = 0 , it will have no other impact on the
circuit.
From (1), Rin =

1
1
= 3 = 1 k.
g m 10

From (14), Rout = RD = 15 k.

From (5), Avo = g m RD = 103 15 103 = 15

V
V

From (4), Av = g m ( RD || RL ) = 103 (15k ||15k ) = 7.5

V
V

Whites, EE 320

Lecture 34

g m ( RD || RL )
Av
7.5
=
=
N
1 + g m Rsig ( 4) 1 + g m Rsig 1 + 103 50
V
= 7.14
V
RD
15
1 A
=
=
From (12), Gi =
RD + RL 15 + 15 2 A

From (9), Gv =

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(15)

What is the overall voltage gain when:

o Rsig = 1 k? From (15),
Av
7.5
V
Gv =
=
=
3.75
1 + g m Rsig 1 + 103 103
V
7.5
V
o Rsig = 1 0 k? Gv =
=
0.68
1 + 103 10 103
V
7.5
V
o Rsig = 1 00 k? Gv =
=
0.074
1 + 103 100 103
V

We see from these calculations that the overall voltage gain

decreases substantially as Rsig increases. Can you explain what
is physically happening to cause this to occur?