Lect. 25: BJT current mirror (6.3.

3)

VCC − VBE
I REF =
R

⎛ 2⎞
I REF = I C + 2 I C / β = I C ⎜ 1 + ⎟
⎝ β⎠
1
∴ I O = I C = I REF ⋅
2
1+
β

Electronic Circuits 1 High-Speed Circuits and Systems Laboratory

 Lect. 25: BJT current mirror
How does VO affect IO?

IC1

VC1 VC2

VO − VC 1
IO = IC 1 +
rO
VA
Since rO = ,
IC
IC V
IO = IC 1 + (VO − VC 1 )  I C 1 (1 + O )
VA VA
I REF V
= ⋅ (1 + O )
1+ (2 / β ) VA

Electronic Circuits 1 High-Speed Circuits and Systems Laboratory

 Lect. 25: BJT current mirror

Q2 can have m times larger E-B junction than Q1

I REF = I C 1 + I B1 + I B 2
IC 1 IC 1
=I C 1 + + m⋅
(m x Q1)
β β
⎛ 1+ m ⎞
=I C 1 ⎜ 1 +
⎝ β ⎟⎠
VO
Since I O = m ⋅ I C 1 (1 + )
VA
m ⋅ I REF VO
IO = (1 + )
⎛ 1+ m ⎞ VA
⎜ 1 + ⎟
⎝ β ⎠

Electronic Circuits 1 High-Speed Circuits and Systems Laboratory

 Lect. 25: BJT current mirror

1
I n = I REF ⋅
N +1
1+
β

(Equal size transistors

and no rO dependence)

Electronic Circuits 1 High-Speed Circuits and Systems Laboratory

 Lect. 25: BJT current mirror

Reduce β dependence

(1 + 2 ) β
β
IO = IC
β +1
⎡ 1+ 2 ⎤
β⎥
I REF = I C ⎢1 +
⎢ β +1 ⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦
IO β +2 1
= =
I REF β +1+ 1+ 2
β 1+
2
β ( β + 2)
1
≅
1+ 2 β 2

Wilson current mirror

Electronic Circuits 1 High-Speed Circuits and Systems Laboratory

 Lect. 25: BJT current mirror
Enhance output resistance: less VO dependence

2
ix = (β + 2 + )i − β i
β
2
=(2+ )i
β
2 i
vx = (β + 2 + )i ⋅ rO + ( i + ) ⋅ re
β β
2 1
(β + 2 + )rO + (1 + ) ⋅ re
v β β
∴ RO = x =
ix 1
2(1+ )
β
β rO

2

Electronic Circuits 1 High-Speed Circuits and Systems Laboratory

 Lect. 25: BJT current mirror

Example 6.14
Determine R1 for IO= 10µA. Q1, Q2 have VBE=0.7V for IC=1mA.

IC 1 v BE ,1 − v BE ,2
Since I C = I S ⋅ exp(v BE / VT ), = exp( )
IC 2 VT
Let I C 2 = 1mA, v BE ,2 = 0.7V
IC 1 10µA
v BE ,1 = v BE ,2 + VT ⋅ ln( ) = 0.7 + 0.25 ln( ) = 0.58V
IC 2 1mA
10 − 0.58
∴ R1 = = 942kΩ
0.01

R1 is too large.
Any way to reduce the required resistance?

Electronic Circuits 1 High-Speed Circuits and Systems Laboratory

 Lect. 25: BJT current mirror
Example 6.14
Determine R1 for IO= 10µA. Q1, Q2 have VBE=0.7V for IC=1mA.

⎛I ⎞ ⎛I ⎞ ⎛ IO ⎞
VBE 1 = VT ln ⎜ E 1 ⎟  VT ln ⎜ REF ⎟ BE 2
, V = VT ln ⎜ ⎟
⎝ IS ⎠ ⎝ IS ⎠ ⎝ IS ⎠
⎛I ⎞
VBE 1 − VBE 2 = VT ln ⎜ REF ⎟
⎝ IO ⎠
VBE 1 = VBE 2 + I O RE
⎛I ⎞
∴ I O R3 = VT ln ⎜ REF ⎟
⎝ IO ⎠
10 − 0.7
For I REF = 1mA, R2 = = 9.3kΩ
1
⎛ 1mA ⎞
10 × 10−6 R3 = 0.025 ln ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 10µA ⎠
Widlar current source R3 = 11.5kΩ

Electronic Circuits 1 High-Speed Circuits and Systems Laboratory