Substrate bounce in mixed-

mode CMOS IC’s

Bram Nauta
http://icd.el.utwente.nl
b.nauta@el.utwente.nl

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 contents
• substrate noise in CMOS
• problems in analog
• strategy for analog
• examples
• conclusion

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 substrate noise in CMOS

substrate is low-Ohmic! 10mΩcm

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
• digital Vss is tied to substrate: Vssd=Vsub
• digital logic draws peak currents
• PCB ground is not available on-chip (due to L bondwire)

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 substrate voltage

G,
9VXE =/
GW

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 problems in analog:

in band
• coupling sampling
out band

demodualtion

• guardrings dont help

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 example : current mirror

VT modulation

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 • connect Vssa to substrate

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 Cascodes must also follow the substrate

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 strategy for analog
• Connect analog Vss to dirty substrate
• NMOS: for DC current sources
• PMOS: for signal handling
• Use differential signals
• Use shielding for non-substrate related signals

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
Vssa=substrate=Vssd
analog signals referred to outside cean PCB ground

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 Examples
OTA

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 What about the N-well connection?

for signals referred to clean (PCB) ground

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 shielding

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 bandgap: wrt analog PCB ground

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 bandgap: wrt analog PCB ground

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 bandgap: wrt dirty substrate

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 bandgap: wrt dirty substrate

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 bandgap: experimental results

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 current controlled oscillator:

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 opamp

signals referred to clean PCB ground

Vss=substrate=dirty
8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 simplified model:

• Inoise must be delivered by (non-linear) gm stage

• Vnoise=Inoise/gm at input

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 • compensation
• linearisation

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 opamp testchip:

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 experimental results:

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH
 conclusions
• connect analog Vss to dirty substrate
• analog signals referred to clean PCB ground
• NMOS as DC current source
• PMOS for signal handling
• Differential signals
• Watch out for the well connection
• shielding
• Compensation
• Linearisation

8QLYHUVLW\RI7ZHQWH