Electronic – Using a diode-connected MOSFETs as a voltage divider

integrated-circuitmosfetvoltage divider

I have read that it is possible to use a diode-connected MOSFET as a small-signal resistor with a resistance of 1/gm (ignoring channel length modulation.)

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Also, the equation for gm is as follows:

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Note that this equation shows that gm is dependent on Vgs (=Vds for diode connected devices.)

If I design this (and select 1/gm) based on a Vin = 5V with the hopes of getting a 0.5 ratio to give Vout = 2.5V, then I change my Vin to 1V, my 1/gm should change, hence my resistance should change and now I will no longer get my 0.5 ratio.

Is that correct? These resistor dividers can only be used for one single designed Vin.

Best Answer

If one neglects the current that may flow through the \$V_{out}\$ connection, then both transistors will have the same current flowing through them. If the transistors have identical characteristics, then each transistor will have the same voltage \$V_{DS}=V_{GS}\$ across it's terminals, both will have the same \$g_m\$. This is true regardless of the applied voltage. If the current you draw from the output is small enough (relative to the current through the transistors), your output will be approximately 0.5 times your input. But that assumes your transistors are perfectly matched and the current drawn from the output is small enough.

When I change my Vin to 1V, my 1/gm should change, hence my resistance should change and now I will no longer get my 0.5 ratio.

The current through each transistor will change, but they should change equally. (Again, assuming we can neglect the current lost through \$V_{out}\$ connection. The problem however, is that you are using mosfets, which are (generally) enhancement mode devices. They do not conduct appreciably unless the gate-source voltage is at or above a threshold voltage. To get the transitors to conduct with 1V across both, will require a threshold voltage of 0.5V or less.

I don't really really know the details of your application, so the following suggestion may not suit your needs, but you may have better luck with very low voltages if you use identical JFETs configured with their source and gate connected. These will continue to conduct all the way down to 0V.

Or could you simply use resistors?

Edit: The reason why the voltage drop between the two transistors will tend toward equality is as follows. (We will assume there is no output current, at least for now.)

Hopefully you can see that if the transistors have identical characteristics, then if the current through each is equal, the voltages across them will be equal, and vice versa.