Analytical distortion calculation method for CMOS amplifier stages

Operational amplifiers (opamps) are often designed in stages. Distortion analysis of multistage opamps is challenging due to multiple non-linearity sources. Therefore, one effective analysis method is to consider a multistage opamp model as a cascade of condensed stages, with each stage modelled by one weakly non-linear element. Then, in order to obtain a satisfactory distortion model, accurate characterisation of the non-linearity of each stage is necessary. In this Letter, the authors propose an analytical calculation method for modelling the weak non-linearity of an amplifier stage consisting of several interconnected transistors. A stage circuit model created by this method can be used to produce analytical harmonic distortion characterisation of closed-loop circuits with peripheral elements. Numerical accuracy of the analytical method has been validated by transistor-level simulation.