Integratable voltage reference
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics International N.V.
InventorsAndrea Gambero, Sandro Rossi, Lorenzo Labate, Simona Angela Cozzi, Giulio Ricotti, Marco Marchesi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic system is disclosed. The system includes a Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor die and further including, entirely disposed on the GaN semiconductor die i) a voltage reference circuit including GaN semiconductor transistors, the voltage reference circuit configured to generate a reference voltage, and ii) an electronic component including GaN semiconductor transistors and configured to generate a power output based on the reference voltage.
Claims20
An electronic system, comprising a Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor die and further comprising, entirely disposed on the GaN semiconductor die:
- a voltage reference circuit comprising GaN semiconductor transistors, the voltage reference circuit configured to generate a reference voltage, and
- an electronic component comprising GaN semiconductor transistors and configured to generate a power output based on the reference voltage,
- wherein the voltage reference circuit comprises:
- an amplifier comprising GaN semiconductor transistors, the amplifier comprising a first and a second input terminal and an output terminal;
- a feedback stage comprising:
- a first tract comprising a first GaN HEMT comprising a respective gate, source, and drain terminal, wherein the first GaN HEMT is connected to the first input terminal of the amplifier;
- a second tract comprising:
- a resistor connected, at a first end of the resistor, to the second input terminal of the amplifier;
- and
- a second GaN HEMT comprising a respective gate, source and drain terminal, wherein the second HEMT is connected to a second end of the resistor,
- wherein the second HEMT has an area which is Q times a respective area of the first HEMT, wherein Q is greater than 1,
- wherein the first and second tracts are configured to respectively generate a first and second voltage at the first and second input terminal of the amplifier, respectively,
- wherein the amplifier is configured to generate, at the output terminal, an amplifier voltage based on the first and second voltages,
- wherein the feedback stage is configured to generate the reference voltage based on the amplifier voltage, and
- wherein the reference voltage is a function of the area of the first and second HEMTs and a value of the resistor.
A method of forming an electronic system, the method comprising:
- providing a Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor die;
- forming a voltage reference circuit comprising GaN semiconductor transistors on the GaN semiconductor die, the voltage reference circuit configured to generate a reference voltage, and
- forming an electronic component comprising GaN semiconductor transistors on the GaN semiconductor die, the electronic component configured to generate a power output based on the reference voltage,
- wherein the voltage reference circuit comprises:
- an amplifier comprising GaN semiconductor transistors, the amplifier comprising a first and a second input terminal and an output terminal;
- a feedback stage comprising:
- a first tract comprising a first GaN HEMT comprising a respective gate, source, and drain terminal, wherein the first GaN HEMT is connected to the first input terminal of the amplifier;
- a second tract comprising:
- a resistor connected, at a first end of the resistor, to the second input terminal of the amplifier;
- and
- a second GaN HEMT comprising a respective gate, source and drain terminal, wherein the second HEMT is connected to a second end of the resistor,
- wherein the second HEMT has an area which is Q times a respective area of the first HEMT, wherein Q is greater than 1,
- wherein the first and second tracts are configured to respectively generate a first and second voltage at the first and second input terminal of the amplifier, respectively,
- wherein the amplifier is configured to generate, at the output terminal, an amplifier voltage based on the first and second voltages,
- wherein the feedback stage is configured to generate the reference voltage based on the amplifier voltage, and
- wherein the reference voltage is a function of the area of the first and second HEMTs and a value of the resistor.
An electronic system, comprising a Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor die and further comprising, entirely disposed on the GaN semiconductor die a voltage reference circuit comprising GaN semiconductor transistors, the voltage reference circuit configured to generate a reference voltage, and the voltage reference circuit comprising:
- an amplifier comprising GaN semiconductor transistors, the amplifier comprising a first and a second input terminal and an output terminal;
- a feedback stage comprising:
- a first tract comprising a first GaN HEMT comprising a respective gate, source, and drain terminal, wherein the first GaN HEMT is connected to the first input terminal of the amplifier;
- a second tract comprising:
- a resistor connected, at a first end of the resistor, to the second input terminal of the amplifier;
- and
- a second GaN HEMT comprising a respective gate, source and drain terminal, wherein the second HEMT is connected to a second end of the resistor,
- wherein the second HEMT has an area which is Q times a respective area of the first HEMT, wherein Q is greater than 1,
- wherein the first and second tracts are configured to respectively generate a first and second voltage at the first and second input terminal of the amplifier, respectively,
- wherein the amplifier is configured to generate, at the output terminal, an amplifier voltage based on the first and second voltages,
- wherein the feedback stage is configured to generate the reference voltage based on the amplifier voltage, and
- wherein the reference voltage is a function of the area of the first and second HEMTs and a value of the resistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.