A high speed, precision voltage buffer in a submicron CMOS process

Abstract

A new buffer architecture was introduced by Comer and Comer (1998, International Journal of Electronics, 84, 345). This buffer uses an active feedback network based on a transconductance amplifier. An implementation of the new buffer was done in a CMOS process. The buffer was intended for the output stage of a 10-bit video digital-to-analogue converter. The circuit was fabricated on the American Microsystems 0.6 μm process. Design specifications called for a gain accuracy of 0.1%, an offset voltage shift of no more than 1mV over a commonmode input range of 50% of supply voltage and a bandwidth of 500MHz. The actual circuit showed a gain error of less than 0.1%, a common-mode offset variation of less than 2mV, and a bandwidth of 450MHz.