Harmonic distortion in three-stage nested-Miller-compensated amplifiers

A simplified approach for evaluating high-frequency distortion of three-stage amplifiers compensated with the nested-Miller technique is presented. The analysis exploits a proper amplifier modeling and, by suitable assumptions avoids complex methods based on the Volterra series, while providing simple equations useful even for design. Besides, the most important mechanisms generating distortion and their features in the frequency domain are clearly highlighted. Simulations on a CMOS circuit are found in excellent agreement with expected results.