This book was informally developed over the past twenty years at Tennessee Technological University where I have been teaching Microelectronics. Besides having research interest in this area, I have taught electronic courses from the basic level to graduate level VLSI course. This has provided me a wide perspective in this area. Therefore, the discussion of the fundamentals in this book is geared to the requirements at a higher level. I have added many new material in this subject matter. I published two IEEE Trans. papers, almost a decade ago, which came out of my classroom experience. Also, many students in this University gave a positive feedback on the standard, contents, style, and organization of the material. The students specifically like the design emphasis during my lectures.

WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS BOOK

This book Microelectronics: Analysis and Design is primarily written for the undergraduate students of the Electrical & Electronics Engineering (EEE) and Electronics & Communication Engineering (ECE) branches of engineering. The book covers the topics intended for a two semester course on Electronic Circuits required by all students of ECE and EEE. Besides the theory of analysis and design, the text includes many applicationoriented topics in Chapters 11 and 12. The topics covered here will also serve as prerequisites for advanced level courses in the areas of both analog and digital VLSI circuit design. They can also be taught in a separate senior level course, possibly as an elective.

HOW IS THIS BOOK DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS

The major points stressed in this book that distinguish it from other similar texts currently available in the market are:

1. Design emphasis: The design concept (see ABET criteria) is emphasized in every chapter at every step starting with smaller circuits and expanding to larger circuits. This is carried out using several specific and realistic examples. The design approach enables the student to solve the real world problems.

2. Blending of both integrated and discrete circuits: Though the emphasis is towards integrated, discrete circuits are included which can be conveniently omitted. Also, besides the conventional op-amps, topics on other IC amplifiers, such as OTAs, CFAs, etc. (not found in other textbooks) are included.

3. Emphasis on electronic circuits using both MOSFETs and BJTs: Although MOSFETs are introduced first, we equally emphasize BJTs. The performance characteristics of the BJT circuits are remarkably predictable, reliable, and quite insensitive to the changes in the parameters of BJTs. The BJT circuits are still preferable in many applications, such as high speed computing (emitter-coupled logic circuits) and wireless communications, automotive electronics, etc. BJTs remain popular in discrete-circuit design even now and are the preferred devices in very demanding analog circuits, both discrete and integrated circuits. However, modern IC circuits are realized using MOSFETs wherever possible, thereby, equally emphasizing BJTs and MOSFETs.

4. Modeling and model parameters for both large- and small-signal analyses: Modeling and model parameters for both large- and small-signal analysis are given in the book. Also included are some new models appropriate to the configuration under analysis. With the appropriate use of these models, the student can find the performance characteristics, such as gain, input and output impedances intuitively without much effort.

5. Integral usage of PSPICETM throughout the book: The use of PSPICE is completely integrated throughout the book not just for verification purposes but also to evaluate and obtain the variability and statistical measures (see the ABET criteria). The rudimentary concepts of these measures are introduced in the first chapter and subsequently used to evaluate the designs throughout the book. PSPICE is a good tool to evaluate these measures for the performance characteristics of the different designs developed in the book without a detailed “paper and pencil” analysis. Electronic designs are prime examples and applications for evaluating the tolerance effects. The parametric variation and performance evaluation features of PSPICE for design have also been used. No other text uses this method.

6. Integral use of variability and statistical measures: Some fundamental concepts on sensitivity, variability, and statistical measures have been introduced in Chapter 1. They are used to evaluate the designs throughout the book using PSPICE.

7. Ease of analysis: Using the two-port and feedback concepts, the book avoids the conventional method of writing several coupled circuit equations and solving them. With this approach, one can spend more time on concepts. The feedback concept has been introduced very early so that the frequency response characteristics can be obtained without much effort. This is a radically different approach which enables one to obtain not only the gain as a function of frequency but also input and output impedances. Such an approach makes the analysis of multistage amplifiers easy.

8. Inclusion of all modern IC amplifiers: Besides voltage-mode amplifiers, the book also discusses current-mode amplifiers, such as OTA, CCII, and CFA. Specifically, the high speed CFA has been introduced and used to develop several examples.

The above highlights indicate the transformation that has taken place in the field of microelectronics over the period of time. However, the never changing fundamentals are equally important. Hence, the text tries tostrike a balance between these two aspects.

ORGANIZATION

Chapter 1, essentially a summary of material from the basic circuits, is used as a vehicle to introduce several basic analytical concepts which will be required later for analysis and design topics. The topics from here may either be covered briefly during the class or assigned as study work.

Diodes and their applications are introduced in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 discusses FETs, with an emphasis on MOSFETs. The Bipolar devices, their v-i relationships, small-signal models, and simple amplifier circuits are discussed in Chapter 4. Chapters 3 and 4 discuss the basic configurations of both IC and discrete amplifiers, with the introduction and use of simple current mirrors. Composite structures (such as cascode connection) along with composite small-signal models are also introduced in these chapters. In Chapter 5, advanced current sources and their properties are introduced for both bipolar and CMOS topologies. Also discussed are various configurations of difference amplifiers, with passive and active-loads.

The power amplifiers and output stages are introduced in Chapter 6. We discuss the output stages first so that the analysis and design of IC amplifiers in Chapter 7 will be meaningful. Besides the usual topics, we also discuss the distortion using harmonic analysis (both analytical and PSPICE simulation) and the small- signal models of class-AB configurations in this chapter. Chapter 7 starts with the analysis of a CMOS op-amp configuration followed by the analysis of the popular 741-type op-amp. Both these are voltage-mode amplifiers. The other commercially available IC amplifiers discussed are the current-mode amplifiers, such as the operational transconductance amplifiers (OTA), CCII+, and current feedback amplifiers (CFA).

The feedback concept and four feedback configurations are presented in Chapter 8. Typical examples of analysis and design supporting all four configurations are given.

Chapter 9 discusses the analysis and design of both single and multistage amplifiers in the frequency domain with bandwidth determination being its essence. The transfer function approach toward finding the bandwidth is used because the stability analysis requires the poles and zeros of the transfer function also and not just the bandwidth. A unified approach is used to analyze both bipolar and CMOS amplifiers in this chapter. We use a unique approach, unlike the other textbooks, in finding the transfer functions. We simplify the analysis of complex frequency-domain circuits with the judicious use of models and the feedback concept. This is one reason for earlier introduction of feedback configurations in Chapter 8, which provides a tremendous advantage here. Besides, another unique approach in this book is the development of unilateral models for single-stage amplifiers and their use for the analysis of multistage amplifiers.

Chapter 10 presents stability analysis of feedback amplifiers, compensation and the closely related topic of sinusoidal oscillators. Since the stability analysis and Barkhausan criterion for sinusoidal oscillators are related, the sinusoidal oscillators are also covered in this chapter. Several analog and digital building blocks are analyzed and designed in Chapter 11. The topics include “ideal” rectifiers, peak detectors, limiters, comparators, waveform generators, ADCs, DACs , voltage regulators, and dc/dc converters. Chapter 12 is on tuned amplifiers and filters. Several designs of these circuits using both voltage-mode and current-mode amplifiers for high frequency range are described. The “old” transistor amplifiers with LC-circuits have been replaced by designs with CFAs for high frequency applications. These topics are application-oriented, very much needed and useful to meet the ABET criteria “curriculum culminating in a major design experience

...” The design process of an electronic circuit requires the estimate of the circuit’s performance characteristics. Presently, the verification using the computer-aided analysis is popular. In this book, we verify the performance characteristics of several designs using PSPICE, the classroom version of which is freely available to most students. Another important step in the design process is the selection of circuit components. We address some guidelines through examples in Chapter 1. These guidelines are generally applicable to all electronic circuits.

WEB SUPPLEMENT

The web supplement for the book at http: // www. mhhe. com/ natarajan microelectronics has separate sections for students and instructors. Students resources consists of a Self Test Quiz that will help the students in examining their understanding of the concepts discussed in the book. It will also be a help during the preparation of examination. For instructors or teachers, the web site has the solution manual for the book wherein all the exercise problems in the book have been solved. It will also have chapter-wise PowerPoint slides which will help them in the preparation and presentation of their lectures.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am indebted to my former Professor Dr V. G. K. Murti who reviewed and made countless corrections and suggestions to improve the quality of this manuscript. I also want to acknowledge several of my former students over many years who made valuable contributions during the development of the course material. I also acknowledge the support provided by Tennessee Technological University during the last several years.

I would also like to acknowledge Vibha Mahajan, Shalini Jha, Mini Narayanan and P L Pandita of Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd. for their support, encouragement, and hard work in bringing out this book.

Last but not the least, I express my gratitude to my wife Saroja and my son Senthilvelu for their patience and understanding throughout the preparation of this book.

The users (students and teachers alike) of the book are welcome to send their comments and feedback regarding the book. Suggestions for further improvement will also be useful.

SUNDARAM NATARAJAN