The monolithic op amp: a tutorial study

A study is made of the integrated circuit operational amplifier (IC op amp) to explain details of its behavior in a simplified and understandable manner. Included are analyses of thermal feedback effects on gain, basic relationships for bandwidth and slew rate, and a discussion of pole-splitting frequency compensation. Sources of second-order bandlimiting in the amplifier are also identified and some approaches to speed and bandwidth improvement are developed. Brief sections are included on new JFET-bipolar circuitry and die area reduction techniques using transconductance reduction.