Data Sheet ADA4891-1/ADA4891-2/ADA4891-3/ADA4891-4
Rev. F | Page 21 of 24
LAYOUT, GROUNDING, AND BYPASSING
POWER SUPPLY BYPASSING
Power supply pins are additional op amp inputs, and care must
be taken so that a noise-free, stable dc voltage is applied. The
purpose of bypass capacitors is to create a low impedance path
from the supply to ground over a range of frequencies, thereby
shunting or filtering the majority of the noise to ground. Bypassing
is also critical for stability, frequency response, distortion, and
PSRR performance.
If traces are used between components and the package, chip
capacitors of 0.1 μF (X7R or NPO) are critical and should be
placed as close as possible to the amplifier package. The 0508
case size for such a capacitor is recommended because it offers
low series inductance and excellent high frequency performance.
Larger chip capacitors, such as 0.1 μF capacitors, can be shared
among a few closely spaced active components in the same
signal path. A 10 μF tantalum capacitor is less critical for high
frequency bypassing, but it provides additional bypassing for
lower frequencies.
GROUNDING
When possible, ground and power planes should be used. Ground
and power planes reduce the resistance and inductance of the
power supply feeds and ground returns. If multiple planes are
used, they should be stitched together with multiple vias. The
returns for the input, output terminations, bypass capacitors,
and RG should all be kept as close to the ADA4891-1/ADA4891-2/
ADA4891-3/ADA4891-4 as possible. Ground vias should be
placed at the side or at the very end of the component mounting
pads to provide a solid ground return. The output load ground
and the bypass capacitor grounds should be returned to a
common point on the ground plane to minimize parasitic
inductance and to help improve distortion performance.
INPUT AND OUTPUT CAPACITANCE
Parasitic capacitance can cause peaking and instability and,
therefore, should be minimized to ensure stable operation.
High speed amplifiers are sensitive to parasitic capacitance between
the inputs and ground. A few picofarads of capacitance reduce
the input impedance at high frequencies, in turn increasing the
gain of the amplifier and causing peaking of the frequency
response or even oscillations, if severe enough. It is recommended
that the external passive components that are connected to the
input pins be placed as close as possible to the inputs to avoid
parasitic capacitance.
In addition, the ground and power planes under the pins of
the ADA4891-1/ADA4891-2/ADA4891-3/ADA4891-4 should be
cleared of copper to prevent parasitic capacitance between the
input and output pins to ground. This is because a single
mounting pad on a SOIC footprint can add as much as 0.2 pF of
capacitance to ground if the ground or power plane is not
cleared under the ADA4891-1/ADA4891-2/ADA4891-3/
ADA4891-4 pins. In fact, the ground and power planes should
be kept at a distance of at least 0.05 mm from the input pins on
all layers of the board.
INPUT-TO-OUTPUT COUPLING
To minimize capacitive coupling between the inputs and outputs
and to avoid any positive feedback, the input and output signal
traces should not be parallel. In addition, the input traces should
not be close to each other. A minimum of 7 mils between the
two inputs is recommended.
LEAKAGE CURRENTS
In extremely low input bias current amplifier applications, stray
leakage current paths must be kept to a minimum. Any voltage
differential between the amplifier inputs and nearby traces sets
up a leakage path through the PCB. Consider a 1 V signal and
100 GΩ to ground present at the input of the amplifier. The
resultant leakage current is 10 pA; this is 5× the typical input
bias current of the amplifier. Poor PCB layout, contamination,
and the board material can create large leakage currents. Common
contaminants on boards are skin oils, moisture, solder flux, and
cleaning agents. Therefore, it is imperative that the board be
thoroughly cleaned and that the board surface be free of
contaminants to take full advantage of the low input bias currents
of the ADA4891-1/ADA4891-2/ ADA4891-3/ADA4891-4.
To significantly reduce leakage paths, a guard ring/shield should
be used around the inputs. The guard ring circles the input pins
and is driven to the same potential as the input signal, thereby
reducing the potential difference between pins. For the guard ring
to be completely effective, it must be driven by a relatively low
impedance source and should completely surround the input
leads on all sides, above and below, using a multilayer board
(see Figure 66).
NONINVERTING
GUARD RING
INVERTING
GUARD RING
8054-067
Figure 66. Guard Ring Configurations
The 5-lead SOT-23 package for the ADA4891-1 presents a
challenge in keeping the leakage paths to a minimum. The
pin spacing is very tight, so extra care must be used when
constructing the guard ring (see Figure 67 for the recom-
mended guard ring construction).
08054-068
–IN
+IN
–V
S
–V
S
+V
S
+V
S
OUT ADA4891-1
NONINVERTING
–IN
+IN
OUT
ADA4891-1
INVERTING
Figure 67. Guard Ring Layout, 5-Lead SOT-23