m Semiconductor devices are formed from junctions

of dissimilar materials.
m As we know, such a junction has polarity-
dependent conduction.
m Metal-semiconductor junctions are Schottky
diodes, with limited blocking voltage but low
forward drop.
m P-N junctions, and also ´P-i-Nµ devices with an
internal ´intrinsic layerµ are suitable for power
diodes.
m The current rating depends on area (current
density!)
m The voltage rating depends on the depth of the
doped regions.
6
 
m ëhen a PN junction is unbiased, the doping
provides free charge.
m Near the junction, charges cancel and we have
a ´depletion region.µ

 
















   
R

6


 
m Notice that we have charges with a spatial
separation: a capacitor.
m In forward bias, the imposed voltage drives
the charges closer together.
m Current flows as charges actively diffuse into
and recombine within the depletion region.

6


 

































 
R

































 

m ëith forward bias, the layer spacing is small

and there is much more charge.
m ëe have a diffusion capacitance with a
relatively high value.

6
 
m To turn the junction off, and allow it to block
once again, the charge must be removed.
m In effect, the diffusion capacitance must be
discharged before reverse blocking is
supported again.
m The result is a reverse recovery current.

6
 

on
Reverse
recovery
Diode charge
current
time

rr
 rr
m The discharge process takes time

6

m The model is only approximate, since it is hard to
speed up the turn-off process by imposing
negative current.
m Most of the charge is removed through
recombination .
m Power diodes often have special dopants to
provide extra sites for charge recombination.
m The reverse recovery current is not related to
off-state residual current.
m Power diode data sheets often convey information
about reverse recovery time, current, or charge
values.
6
 
 















 

m ^nce the device is off, a wider depletion layer

forms.
m There is a depletion capacitance with a value
much lower than for diffusion.

6
 
m To turn the device on, we must charge up the
depletion capacitance and form a smaller
depletion region.
m There is a forward recovery time required to
set up the charges and get current flowing.
m Forward recovery is always faster than
reverse recovery (and rarely specified).

6
 
m P-i-N diodes use an additional intrinsic layer.
m This raises the voltage rating, and does not hurt
speed.
m It tends to give a slightly higher forward drop.
m Common in power diodes
m Schottky barrier diodes do not function in the
same manner.
m Charge must overcome a work function rather
than diffuse into a depletion layer.
m The effective capacitances are much lower, and
reverse recovery is minimal.
m But, the off-state voltages are low and leakage is
high.
6
 
m Slew Rate (SR) limit: Real ^pAmp has a
maximum rate of change of the output voltage
magnitude
[limit
[SR can cause the output of real ^pAmp to be very
different from an ideal one if input signal magnitude is
too high
[Affects settling time of ^PAMP

6
 
- inear RC Step Response: the slope of the step
response is proportional to the final value of the
output, that is, if we apply a larger input step, the
output rises more rapidly.
If Vin doubles, the output signal doubles at every
point, therefore a twofold increase in the slope.
-Completely decided by -3dB frequency
6
 
Rate of change of output node

1/f-3dB
6
 

 Œ


But the problem in real ^pAmp is that this slope can

not exceed a certain limit.

6
 
rv small, always linear settling
6
 
Low To High Transition

¦






 

Slew rate = dVo/dT = Iss/C

Any further increase in vin will not make charging of output node
fast 6
 
^ 

6
 
m Îndesirable because imits the speed of
^PAMP
m Can not be eliminated

m Remedy ----
[ stimate max. speed that can be obtained
[ Then make slew rate large
[ How? Provide additional current boosting,

6
 
[Full Power bandwidth: the range of frequencies for
which the ^pAmp can produce an undistorted sinusoidal
output with peak amplitude equal to the maximum
allowed voltage output
How to know it*




! Õ ë

fFP shd, be > f-3dB

6
 
m Positive slew rate---large positive step at input
m Negative slew rate----large negative step at input

6
 
!   
Œ

[ provide additional current by

‡ adaptive bias for tail current
boosting
‡ local common-mode feedback
(CMFB)
‡ Îse clamping circuit

6
 
 è
 è


 

è


  


B Ibias
(2B+1) = 0.33, B=1 in slew mode
Ibias
B/2 Ibias
(B+1) Ibias = 0.25 in normal mode
6
 
 If B increases, SR as well as power
consumption both increases

Small signal behaviour

Poles at x and y node

6
 

 
 


 




  



 


6
 
 ¦
 


 
Similarly for negative swing.
Thus general expression for vid 0

6
 
Current efficiency= [Iout/ 2Iout+2Icm] Ë0.5 (charge) for
Iout >> Icm, B=1
= [Iout/ Iout+2Icm] Ë1 (discharge)

Current consumption = 2Iout +2Icm

Îsing CMFB the large dynamic currents are
Generated in the output branches,
without internal replication.

Here also,
If B increases, SR as well as power consumption
both increases
Aim is to achieve high SR at low power consumption
6
 

 


   

6
 
 ´



6
 
 uestions

? ? ?
? ? ? ?
? ? ?

6