Low voltage reference generator using MOS devices
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsWeibiao Zhang, Ke Yun, Bruno W. Garlepp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for generating reference voltages and reference currents from a supply voltage are disclosed. A disclosed reference voltage and reference current generator circuit includes a combination of transistor (e.g., MOS) devices and interconnect resistors. The interconnect resistors have temperature coefficients that are selected to negate temperature sensitive effects in the transistor devices due to electron mobility temperature behavior in the transistor devices. The interconnect resistors may be implemented as resistor stacks that include interconnected metal layers separated by electrically insulating layers.
Claims20
A reference voltage generator for an integrated circuit device, comprising:
- a current generator circuit having one or more transistor devices and a first resistor stack with a first temperature coefficient, wherein the current generator circuit is configured to generate a bias current from a supply voltage provided to the current generator circuit;
- a first resistor circuit having a second resistor stack with a second temperature coefficient, the first resistor circuit being configured to generate a first voltage from the bias current;
- a second resistor circuit having a third resistor stack with a third temperature coefficient and a fourth resistor stack with a fourth temperature coefficient, the second resistor circuit being configured to generate a current reference from the first voltage;
- and
- a third resistor circuit having a fifth resistor stack with a fifth temperature coefficient, the third resistor circuit being configured to generate a reference voltage from the current reference.
An integrated circuit device, comprising:
- a current generator circuit having one or more transistor devices and a first resistor stack with a first temperature coefficient, wherein the current generator circuit is configured to generate a bias current from a supply voltage provided to the current generator circuit;
- and
- an output generator circuit, wherein the output generator circuit includes:
- a second resistor stack with a second temperature coefficient;
- a third resistor stack with a third temperature coefficient;
- a fourth resistor stack with a fourth temperature coefficient;
- and
- a fifth resistor stack with a fifth temperature coefficient;
- wherein the output generator circuit is configured to generate:
- a first voltage from the bias current;
- a current reference from the first voltage;
- and
- a reference voltage from the current reference.
A method for generating a reference voltage for an integrated circuit device, comprising:
- receiving, at a current generator circuit in the integrated circuit device, a supply voltage, wherein the current generator circuit has one or more transistor devices and a first resistor stack with a first temperature coefficient;
- generating, at the current generator circuit, a bias current from the supply voltage;
- generating, at a first resistor circuit having a second resistor stack with a second temperature coefficient, a first voltage from the bias current;
- generating, at a second resistor circuit having a third resistor stack with a third temperature coefficient and a fourth resistor stack with a fourth temperature coefficient, a current reference from the first voltage;
- and
- generating, at a third resistor circuit having a fifth resistor stack with a fifth temperature coefficient, a reference voltage from the current reference.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.