# US 10,371,582 B2 · Signal generation circuit and temperature sensor

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- Number: US 10,371,582 B2
- Document ID: US10371582B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/861,819
- Filed: 2018-01-04
- Published: 2018-05-10
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-09-02
- Assignees: Renesas Electronics Corporation
- Applicants: Renesas Electronics Corporation
- Inventors: Shigeki Obayashi; Hiroki Shimano; Masataka Minami; Hiroji Ozaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371582B2

## CPC

- G01K 7/01: using semiconducting elements having PN junctions (G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence)
- G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00)

## Abstract

To provide a signal generation circuit having a short settling time of an output voltage. In a PTAT signal generation circuit, a trimming circuit is coupled between the cathodes of 0-th to K-th diodes and a line of a ground voltage, the anode of the 0-th diode is coupled to a first node, the anodes of the first to the K-th diodes are coupled to a second node via a resistive element, the first node and the second node are set to the same voltage, a first current flowing through the 0-th diode and a second current flowing through the first to the K-th diodes are set to have the same value, and a third current flowing through the trimming circuit is set to have the value 2 times that of each of the first current and the second current.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A signal generation circuit comprising:
a first diode whose anode is coupled to a first node;
a first resistive element whose one-side terminal is coupled to a second node;
a second diode whose anode is coupled to other-side terminal of the first resistive element, whose cathode is coupled to a cathode of the first diode, and which has a current drive capability larger than the first diode;
a current source that causes the first and second nodes to have a same voltage and feeds a current of a same value through the first and second diodes;
an output circuit that is coupled between the cathodes of the first and second diodes and a line of a ground voltage and which outputs, on the basis of a current of a sum of the currents flowing through the first and second diodes, a voltage proportional to an absolute temperature,
an amplifier circuit that amplifies an output voltage of the output circuit; and
a variable conductance circuit that is coupled between the output terminal of the amplifier circuit and a line of a reference voltage and causes a current to flow from an output terminal of the signal generation circuit to the line of the reference voltage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The signal generation circuit according to claim 1, wherein
the amplifier circuit further comprises a source follower amplifier including a first transistor whose source and back gate serve as an output terminal of the amplifier circuit, and
the variable conductance circuit comprises a diode whose anode is coupled to the output terminal of the amplifier circuit and whose cathode is coupled to the drain of the first transistor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The signal generation circuit according to claim 1, wherein
a conductance of the variable conductance circuit increases in a period during which a voltage of the output terminal of the amplifier circuit is higher than a voltage to be settled.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The signal generation circuit according to claim 2, wherein
the first transistor is an N-type transistor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The signal generation circuit according to claim 1,
wherein a ratio between the voltage proportional to the absolute temperature and the current of a sum of the currents flowing through the first and second diodes is adjustable.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The signal generation circuit according to claim 5,
wherein the output circuit includes:
a plurality of second resistor elements coupled in series between the cathodes of the first and second diodes and the line of the ground voltage; and
a switch circuit that couples a selected terminal, among terminals on a side of the cathodes of the first and second diodes of the second resistor elements, to an output terminal for outputting a voltage proportional to the absolute temperature.