Bias-stabilized inverter-amplifier: an inspiring solution for low-voltage and low-power applications

Abstract

A bias stabilization scheme for inverter is introduced. The conventional inverter structure has lent itself as a power-efficient amplifier block for low-power, low-voltage applications. However, its application is restricted due to the limits in its biasing method. This letter introduces an efficient biasing scheme based on forward body bias technique. The proposed biasing scheme relaxes most of the problems associated with the unreliable conventional biasing method. Spectre simulation utilizing TSMC 180 nm technology are utilized to compare the performance of the proposed circuit with that’s of conventional inverter and also with well-known common-source amplifier. All three versions are biased with 0.4 V power supply and 3 µA bias current. In addition to the performance examination, full process, voltage, and temperature analysis is also conducted through Monte Carlo and corner simulations. The results validate the well-performance of the proposed structure under various operating conditions.