Electronic Devices and Circuits

MOS Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs)

Lecture 5
Basic MOSFET Amplifier Configurations

Prepared By: Muhammad Abdullah

[email protected] , [email protected]

National University FAST (CFD Campus)

My YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@BlueFish506

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Three Basic Configurations:

Figure 1: Three basic MOSFET amplifier configurations

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Characterizing Amplifiers (Recall BJT Lecture 5)

Figure 2: (a) An amplifier fed with a signal source (𝒗sig , 𝑹sig ) and providing its output across a
load resistance 𝑹𝑳. (b) The circuit in (a) with the amplifier represented by its equivalent circuit
model. (c) Determining the output resistance 𝑹𝒐 of the amplifier.

Input Resistance: 𝑹𝒊𝒏

𝑣𝑖
𝑅in ≡
𝑖𝑖
Input voltage applied to the applied is;
𝑅in
𝑣𝑖 = 𝑣
𝑅in + 𝑅sig sig
Output Resistance:
𝑣𝑋
𝑅𝑜 =
𝑖𝑋

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Open Circuit Voltage Gain:
𝑣𝑜
𝐴𝑣𝑜 ≡ |
𝑣𝑖 𝑅
𝐿 =∞

Output voltage of the amplifier is;

𝑅𝐿
𝑣𝑜 = 𝐴 𝑣
𝑅𝐿 + 𝑅𝑜 𝑣𝑜 𝑖
Voltage Gain 𝑨𝒗 with Load Resistance:
Voltage gain of the amplifier proper, 𝐴𝑣 , can be written as;
𝑣𝑜 𝑅𝐿
𝐴𝑣 ≡ = 𝐴𝑣𝑜
𝑣𝑖 𝑅𝐿 + 𝑅𝑜
Overall Voltage Gain 𝑮𝒗 :
𝑣𝑜 𝑅in
𝐺𝑣 ≡ = 𝐴
𝑣sig 𝑅in + 𝑅sig 𝑣
Ideally, we strive to design an amplifier with high voltage gain, high input resistance
and low output resistance.

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Common-Source (CS) Amplifier

Figure 3: (a) CS Amplifier Circuit (b) its equivalent circuit using hybrid -Model of MOSFET

Input Resistance: 𝑹𝐢𝐧

𝑅in = ∞
Open Circuit Voltage Gain: 𝑨𝒗𝒐
𝑣𝑜 = −(𝑔𝑚 𝑣𝑔𝑠 )(𝑅𝐷 ∥ 𝑟𝑜 )
𝑣𝑜 𝑣𝑜
𝐴𝑣𝑜 ≡ = = −𝑔𝑚 (𝑅𝐷 ∥ 𝑟𝑜 )
𝑣𝑖 𝑣𝑔𝑠
If 𝑟𝑜 >> 𝑅𝐷 , then we can neglect 𝑟𝑜 ;

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 𝐴𝑣𝑜 ≅ −𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝐷
Output Resistance: 𝑹𝒐
𝑅𝑜 = 𝑅𝐷 ∥ 𝑟𝑜
If 𝑟𝑜 >> 𝑅𝐷 , then we can neglect 𝑟𝑜 ;
𝑅𝑜 = 𝑅𝐷
Overall Voltage Gain: 𝑮𝒗
To determine the overall voltage gain 𝐺𝑣 , we first note that the infinite input
resistance will make the entire signal 𝑣sig appear at the amplifier input,
𝑣𝑖 = 𝑣sig
If load resistance 𝑅𝐿 is connected to the output of the amplifier,
𝐴𝑣 is obtained by replacing 𝑅𝐷 with 𝑅𝐷 ‖𝑅𝐿 in 𝐴𝑣𝑜
𝐴𝑣 = −𝑔𝑚 (𝑅𝐷 ∥𝑅𝐿 ∥𝑟𝑜 )
Now overall voltage gain can be written as;
𝐺𝑣 = 𝐴𝑣 = −𝑔𝑚 (𝑅𝐷 ∥𝑅𝐿 ∥𝑟𝑜 )

Example 1

A CS amplifier utilizes a MOSFET biased at 𝐼𝐷 = 0.25 mA with 𝑉𝑂𝑉 = 0.25 V and

𝑅𝐷 = 20kΩ. The amplifier is fed with a signal source having 𝑅sig = 100kΩ, and a
20kΩ load is connected to the output.
Find 𝑅in , 𝐴𝑣𝑜 , 𝑅𝑜 , 𝐴𝑣 , and 𝐺𝑣 . If, to maintain reasonable linearity, the peak of the
input sine-wave signal is limited to 10% of 2𝑉𝑂𝑉 , what is the peak of the sine-wave
voltage at the output?
Solution:
2𝐼𝐷 2 × 0.25𝑚
𝑔𝑚 = = = 2 mA/V
𝑉𝑂𝑉 0.25
𝑅in = ∞
𝐴𝑣𝑜 = −𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝐷 = −2𝑚 × 20𝑘 = −40 V/V

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𝑅𝑜 = 𝑅𝐷 = 20kΩ
𝑅𝐿 20𝑘
𝐴𝑣 = 𝐴𝑣𝑜 = −40 × = −20 V/V
𝑅𝐿 + 𝑅𝑜 20𝑘 + 20𝑘
𝐺𝑣 = 𝐴𝑣 = −20 V/V
𝑣ˆ𝑖 = 0.1 × 2𝑉𝑂𝑉 = 0.2 × 2 × 0.25 = 0.05 V
𝑣ˆ𝑜 = 𝐺𝑣 𝑣ˆ𝑖 = 20 × 0.05 = 1 V

Common-Source Amplifier with a Source Resistance

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 Figure 4: CS amplifier with a source resistance Rs: (a) Circuit without bias details; (b)
Equivalent circuit with the MOSFET represented by its T model

Input Resistance: 𝑹𝐢𝐧

𝑅in = ∞
Open Circuit Voltage Gain: 𝑨𝒗𝒐
𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝐷 𝑅𝐷
𝐴𝑣𝑜 = − =−
1 + 𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝑠 1/𝑔𝑚 + 𝑅𝑠
Total resistance in drain
Voltage gain from gate to drain = −
Total resistance in source
Output Resistance: 𝑹𝒐
𝑅𝑜 = 𝑅𝐷 ∥ 𝑟𝑜
If 𝑟𝑜 >> 𝑅𝐷 , then we can neglect 𝑟𝑜 ;
𝑅𝑜 = 𝑅𝐷
Overall Voltage Gain: 𝑮𝒗
𝑔𝑚 (𝑅𝐷 ∥ 𝑅𝐿 ) 𝑅𝐷 ∥ 𝑅𝐿
𝐺𝑣 = 𝐴𝑣 = − =−
1 + 𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝑠 1/𝑔𝑚 + 𝑅𝑠

Common-Gate (CG) Amplifier

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 Figure 5: (a) CG Amplifier Circuit (b) its equivalent circuit using T-Model of MOSFET

Input Resistance: 𝑹𝐢𝐧

𝑅in = 1/𝑔𝑚
Open Circuit Voltage Gain: 𝑨𝒗𝒐
𝐴𝑣𝑜 = 𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝐷
Output Resistance: 𝑹𝒐
𝑅𝑜 = 𝑅𝐷 ∥ 𝑟𝑜
If 𝑟𝑜 >> 𝑅𝐷 , then we can neglect 𝑟𝑜 ;
𝑅𝑜 = 𝑅𝐷
Overall Voltage Gain: 𝑮𝒗
𝑅𝐷 ∥ 𝑅𝐿
𝐺𝑣 =
𝑅sig + 1/𝑔𝑚
Observe that the overall voltage gain is simply the ratio of the total resistance in the
drain circuit to the total resistance in the source circuit.

Example 2

A CG amplifier is required to match a signal source with 𝑅sig = 100Ω. At what

current 𝐼𝐷 should the MOSFET be biased if it is operated at an overdrive voltage of
0.20 V ? If the total resistance in the drain circuit is 2kΩ, what overall voltage gain
is realized?
Solution:
1 1
𝑔𝑚 = = = 10 mA/V
𝑅sig 100
2𝐼𝐷
𝑔𝑚 =
𝑉𝑂𝑉
𝑔𝑚 𝑉𝑂𝑉 10𝑚 × 0.2
𝐼𝐷 = = = 1 𝑚𝐴
2 2

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𝐴𝑣𝑜 = 𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝐷 = 10𝑚 × 2𝑘 = 20 𝑉/𝑉
𝑅in 100
𝐺𝑣 = ( ) 𝐴𝑣𝑜 = ( ) 20 = 10 V/V
𝑅in + 𝑅sig 100 + 100

Common-Drain Amplifier or Source Follower

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Figure 6: (a) CG Amplifier (b) MOSFET replaced with T-Model (c) 𝒓𝟎 neglected

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Input Resistance: 𝑹𝐢𝐧
𝑅in = 
Open Circuit Voltage Gain: 𝑨𝒗𝒐
𝐴𝑣𝑜 = 1
Output Resistance: 𝑹𝒐
𝑅𝑜 = 1/𝑔𝑚
Overall Voltage Gain: 𝑮𝒗
𝑅𝐿
𝐺𝑣 = 𝐴𝑣 =
𝑅𝐿 + 1/𝑔𝑚

Example 3

A MOSFET is connected in the source-follower configuration and employed as the

output stage of a cascade amplifier. It is required to provide an output resistance of
200Ω. If the MOSFET has 𝑘𝑛′ = 0.4 mA/V 2 and is operated at 𝑉𝑂𝑉 = 0.25 V, find
the required 𝑊/𝐿 ratio. Also specify the dc bias current 𝐼𝐷 . If the amplifier load
resistance varies over the range 1kΩ to 10kΩ, what is the range of 𝐺𝑣 of the source
follower?
Solution:
𝑅𝑜 = 200Ω
1 1
𝑔𝑚 = = = 5 𝑚𝐴/𝑉
𝑅𝑜 200
𝑊
𝑔𝑚 = 𝑘𝑛′ ( ) 𝑉𝑂𝑉
𝐿
𝑊 𝑔𝑚 5𝑚
= ′ = = 50
𝐿 𝑘𝑛 𝑉𝑂𝑉 0.4𝑚 × 0.25
𝑊
𝑘𝑛 = 𝑘𝑛′ ( ) = 0.4𝑚 × 50 = 20 mA/V 2
𝐿

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 1 2
1
𝐼𝐷 = 𝑘𝑛 𝑉𝑂𝑉 = × 20𝑚 × (0.25)2 = 0.625 𝑚𝐴
2 2
It is given that: 𝑅𝐿 = 1kΩ to 10kΩ Correspondingly,
When 𝑅𝐿 = 1kΩ
𝑅𝐿 1𝑘
𝐺𝑣 = = = 0.83 𝑉/𝑉
𝑅𝐿 + 𝑅𝑜 1𝑘 + 0.2𝑘
When 𝑅𝐿 = 10kΩ
𝑅𝐿 10𝑘
𝐺𝑣 = = = 0.98 𝑉/𝑉
𝑅𝐿 + 𝑅𝑜 10𝑘 + 0.2𝑘

Summary and Comparisons of MOSFET Amplifiers

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1. Common-Source (CS) Configuration: Ideal for achieving high gain; can use
single or cascaded stages depending on gain requirements.

2. Source Resistor (𝑹𝑺 ) : Improves performance but reduces gain when added
to the CS stage.

3. Common-Gate (CG) Amplifier: Useful for high-frequency applications due

to its superior response and often combined with CS stages.

4. Source Follower: Acts as a voltage buffer, connecting high-resistance sources

to low-resistance loads, and lowers output resistance in multistage amplifiers.

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