EE304 Electronic Circuits

Introduction
Kyeongha Kwon
School of Electrical Engineering,
Semiconductor System Engineering,
Graduate School of AI Semiconductor
 Contact
 Instructor: Kyeongha Kwon (권경하, kyeongha@kaist.ac.kr)
− Office: KAIST E19, #207

− Office Hours: Wednesday, 1 PM – 2 PM (or by appointment)

− Webpage : krg.kaist.ac.kr

 TA: Young Min Sim (심영민, ymsim0@kaist.ac.kr)

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 Course Outline (I)
 Online (Hybrid): pre-recorded video lectures + live discussion & help session
(Mandatory) (NOT mandatory)
 Non-Real-Time class → self-paced learning
− Every Monday, video lectures will be uploaded on the KLMS webpage
− Please watch all video lectures till to the end before Friday 11PM.
− TA will check your progress status every Friday night.

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 Course Outline (II)
 Online (Hybrid): pre-recorded video lectures + live discussion & help session
(Mandatory) (NOT mandatory)
 Zoom: https://kaist.zoom.us/j/7210364938 (PW: 22304)

 Real-Time Discussion & Help Session (Q&A, Summary, etc)

− Every Wednesday, 1:00 ~ 2:30pm (by appointment)
− Send an e-mail to me or TA to arrange (ymsim0@kaist.ac.kr)

 Do you prefer to ask questions or

have discussions anonymously?

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 Course Material
 Textbook
− Behzad Razavi, Fundamentals of Microelectronics (2nd Edition)
− Homework will be assigned from the textbook

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 Course Objectives
 Objectives
− Design and Analysis of Electronic Circuits

 Topics
− Basics of Semiconductor Physics

− Diode Models and Circuits

− MOS and Bipolar Transistors/Amplifiers

− Amplifiers and Current Mirrors

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 Schedule
Period Topics Remarks
Week 1 Introduction to Microelectronics
Week 2 Basic Physics of Semiconductors
Week 3 Diode Models and Circuits HW #1
Week 4 Physics of Bipolar Transistors
Week 5-7 Bipolar Amplifiers HW #2
Week 8 Mid-term exam In-person
Week 9 Physics of MOS Transistors
Week 10 CMOS Amplifiers HW #3
Week 11 Operational Amplifiers as a Black Box
Week 12-13 Cascode Stages and Current Mirrors HW #4
Week 14-15 Differential Amplifiers HW #5
Week 16 Final exam In-person
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 Evaluation
 5 HWs, 2 Exams, Video View % Period Assigned Work
Week 2
 Workload (Grading) Week 3 HW #1
Week 4
− 10% Video View % Week 5-7 HW #2

− 20% Homework Week 8 Mid-term exam

Week 9
− 30% Midterm Exam Week 10 HW #3

− 40% Final Exam Week 11

Week 12-13 HW #4
 Honor Code Week 14-15 HW #5
Week 16 Final exam
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 Microelectronics
 What is microelectronics?
− The area of technology associated with the realization of electronic
systems made of extremely small electronic parts

− Normally associated with integrated circuits (ICs)

 Integrated circuits
− Set of electronic circuits on one small piece (or "chip")
of semiconductor material that is normally silicon

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 IC Fabrication
 Basic process

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 Cellphone (I)
 Transmit and receive paths

Electromagnetic
Radiation
Antenna Antenna
Microphone Speaker
Voice Voice
Electrical signal
Transmitter Receiver

− ? : amplifier (to increase the signal power), filter (to cut off the noise)
− For an antenna to operate efficiently, antenna length (L) = wavelength (λ) / 4
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 Cellphone (II)
 Transmit paths
Transmitter Antenna
Transmitter
Antenna

Voice
20-20kHz

− fvoice = 20 Hz → λ = c*/f = 1.5×107 m → L = λ / 4 = 3.75×106 m  too large

− fdesired = 1.5 GHz → λ = c/f = 20 cm → L = 5 cm  reasonable
− ? : circuits to convert the voice band to a GHz frequency

*Speed of light, c = 3 ×108 m/s 12

 Transmitter
 Frequency Up-conversion
Multiplier Voice Cosine Output
𝑥𝑥(𝑡𝑡) Spectrum Spectrum Spectrum
Voice ×A
X(f) X(f±f c)
X(f) cos(2𝜋𝜋𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 𝑡𝑡) X(f±fc)
cos(2𝜋𝜋𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 𝑡𝑡) Amplifier

Oscillator
cos(2𝜋𝜋𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 𝑡𝑡)

− Multiplier → frequency up-conversion

• The multiplication in time corresponds to convolution in frequency
• The cosine spectrum consists of two impulses at +-fc
− Oscillator → sinusoid generation
− Amplifier → a large voltage swing 13
 Receiver
Multiplier
Low-pass
Filter (LPF) Voice

Low-noise cos(2𝜋𝜋𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 𝑡𝑡)

amplifier
Oscillator
LPF

Received Spectrum Cosine Spectrum Output Spectrum

− Low-noise amplifier boosts signal without excessive noise

− Multiplier translates high frequency to zero center frequency
− Low-pass filter eliminates 2𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 component and extracts the voice 14
 Digital Camera
 Image sensor (photodiode) : image → electrical signal (analog)

 Image processor : analog → digital

https://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/

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 Array of Pixels
 Convert light to electricity
− Develop voltage (Vout) proportional to the “local” light density
− “Time-share” the signal processing circuit
→ Cost↓ , Power↓

Voltage ∝ “Local” light density Switch

A photodiode Array of pixels “Time-share” 16

 Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)
 What does each signal processing block do?
− “Digitize” the voltage (“Analog” signal) to post-process (ADC comes into play)

Vout: Analog signal

Digital data → zoom-in, storage, compression

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 Characteristics of Signals
 Analog signal
− Continuous
Amplitude
− Infinite range values at any instant

t − Current, voltage, radio waves

Time

 Digital signal
Time interval
− Discrete

− Finite range of values at fixed time intervals

Signal
value 1 0 1 1 0 0 1
− Binary signals, “0” and “1”
t
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 Analog vs. Digital
 Analog signal  Digital signal
− Real world − Simulated world
− More exact values, but difficult to work with − Not as exact as analog, but easy to work with
− Susceptible to noise or disturbance − High immunity to noise

Analog Digital (simulated world) Analog

(real world) (real world)
Digital Signal
ADC Processor (DSP) DAC*
C/assembly code

Interface electronics

*DAC : digital-to-analog converter 19

 Noise Tolerance
 Analog signal  Digital signal
− Sensitive to noise (difficult to process) − Better robustness to noise
− Difficult to store as it requires capacitors − Much simpler to store

36.5°C

Signal 0 1 0 Signal

38.9°C 

Signal + Noise  0 1 0 Signal + Noise

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 Wireless Cardiac Monitor
Analog signal Digital processing Implantation in sheep
Analog processing ADC
(Vital signs) and storage
Sensor, Amplifier
Sensor

Pressure
① Biosensor ④ Smartphones
Temp. (display, storage) Wireless electronics

Flow Inside the artery

Blood Flow
③ Bluetooth
Pressure
Temperature

② Wireless electronics
(Amplifier + ADC + Antenna)
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Basic Circuit Theorems: Kirchhoff’s Laws
Kirchhoff Current Law (KCL) Kirchhoff Voltage Law (KVL)

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 Example of Applying KCL/KVL
 Determine the unknown currents or voltage of the circuit below

Find: I0 and I4 Find: V2

=2A = -3A
= 6V = 1V
Node a
I0 + I1 + I2 =0 = 12V

I0 + 2 - 3 = 0

= 5A =1.5A Node c VS2 - V1 - V2 - V3 = 0

IS - I3 - I4 = 0
12 - 6 - V2 - 1 = 0
5 - 1.5 - I4 = 0

Node c
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 Application of Kirchhoff’s Law (I)
 Determine the voltage gain of the amplifier
KCL KCL

KVL KVL
vin - v𝜋𝜋 = 0 g𝑚𝑚v𝜋𝜋 + vout / R𝐿𝐿 =0

vin = v𝜋𝜋 vout = - g𝑚𝑚R𝐿𝐿v𝜋𝜋

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 Application of Kirchhoff’s Law (III)
 Compute the voltage gain
KCL

KVL
KCL

KVL Voltage gain

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 Thevenin and Norton Equivalents
Thevenin’s Theorem Norton’s Theorem

Open
Voltage
source Short

Current Open
source

 Thevenin’s theorem replaces a certain circuit  Norton’s theorem replaces a certain circuit with
with a single voltage source and an equivalent a single current source and an equivalent
series impedance. parallel impedance.

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 Thevenin and Norton Equivalents
 Determine the Thevenin/Norton equivalent of the circuit below

− Suppose the input voltage source and the amplifier are placed in a box and the only the
output port is of interest.

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 Thevenin Equivalent Circuit
 VThev = vout (open-circuit output voltage)

(refer to slide #23)

 ZThev = vx / ix (setting independent voltage/current sources to short/open circuits)

=
Thevenin Equivalent Circuit
ZThev = vx / ix = RL
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 Norton Equivalent Circuit
 iNor = iout (short-circuit output current)
KCL

 ZNor = ZThev = RL

=
Norton Equivalent Circuit
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 Summary
 Introduction to Microelectronics
− Integrated circuit (IC)

− IC fabrication process

− Examples: cellphone, digital camera

− Characteristics of analog/digital signals

 Basic Circuit Theorem

− Kirchhoff current law (KCL) and Kirchhoff voltage law (KVL)

− Thevenin’s and Norton’s theorems

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 Question?
 Live Discussion/Help sessions : Next Wednesday 1 PM – 2PM
− Zoom: https://kaist.zoom.us/j/7210364938 (PW: 22304)

Email : Young Min Sim (심영민, ymsim0@kaist.ac.kr)

 CLASSUME

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 Contact
 Teaching Assistant (TA)
− Young Min Sim (심영민, ymsim0@kaist.ac.kr) : Head TA
− Sara Kim (김사라, sara@kaist.ac.kr)
− Suhwan Kim (김수환, suhwan97@kaist.ac.kr)
− Namhoon Kim (김남훈, namwide@kaist.ac.kr)
− Jihan Shin (신지한, jh0331@kaist.ac.kr)
− Wonbin Lee (이원빈, gpu001@kaist.ac.kr)
− Gyu Rim Jang (장규림, jgl0304@kaist.ac.kr)
− Byeongho Hwang (황병호, crovas@kaist.ac.kr)