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The MOSFET Current Mirror

Consider the following MOSFET circuit: Note VD = VG , therefore:

VDD

VDS = VGS
and thus:

ID

VDS > VGS Vt

So, if VGS > Vt , then the MOSFET is in saturation!
-

VGS

We know that for a MOSFET in saturation, the drain current is equal to:

ID = K (VGS Vt )

Say we want this current ID to be a specific valuecall it Iref . Since Vs = 0 , we find that from the above equation, the drain voltage must be:

VD =

Iref +Vt K

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Likewise, from KVL we find that:

Iref =

VDD VD R

And thus the resistor value to achieve the desired drain current Iref is: V V R = DD D

Iref

where:

VD =
Q: Why are we doing this?

Iref +Vt K

A: Say we now add another component to the circuit, with a second MOSFET that is identical to the first :

VDD

VDD

Iref

IL

RL

VGS1

VGS2

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Q: So what is current IL ? A: Note that the gate voltage of each MOSFET is the same (i.e., VGS 1 = VGS 2 ), and if the MOSFETS are the same (i.e.,

K1 = K2 , Vt 1 = Vt 2 ), and if the second MOSFET is likewise in saturation, its drain current I L is: I L = K2 (VGS 2 Vt 2 )
2

= K1 (VGS 1 Vt 1 ) = Iref
2

Therefore, the drain current of the second MOSFET is equal to the current of the first!

Iref = I L
Q: Wait a minute! You mean to say that the current through

the resistor RL is independent of the value of resistor RL ?

A: Absolutely! As long as the second MOSFET is in saturation, the current through RL is equal to Irefperiod.

The current through RL is independent on the value of RL (provided that the MOSFET remains in saturation). Think about what this meansthis device is a current source !

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VDD

VDD

VDD RL

RL

Iref Current Source

Iref

find that:

Remember, the second MOSFET must be in saturation for the current through RL to be a constant value Iref . As a result, we

VDS 2 > VGS 2 Vt 2

or for this example, since Vs = 0 :

VD 2 > VG 2 Vt 2
Since VD 2 = VDD RLIref , we find that in order for the MOSFET

to be in saturation:

VDD RLI ref > VG 2 Vt 2 = VG 1 Vt 1

Or, sated another way, we find that the load resistor RL can be no larger than:

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RL <
Where we know that:

VDD VG 1 +Vt 1 I ref

VG 1 = VDD R Iref
and thus we can alternatively write the above equation as:

RL < R +

Vt 1 Iref

voltage VDS 2 will drop below the excess gate voltage VGS 2 Vt 2 , and thus the second MOSFET will enter the triode region. As a result, the drain current will not equal Iref the current source will stop working!

If the load resistor becomes larger than R +Vt 1 Iref , the

Although the circuit presented here is sometimes referred to as a current sink, understand that the circuit is clearly a way of designing a current source.

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We can also use PMOS devices to construct a current mirror!

VSS
+

VGS1

VGS2

VSS
This better be in saturation!

I L = Iref , Iref R RL IL
regardless of the value of RL!!!