Voltage reference apparatus and control method
AssigneeReed Semiconductor Corporation
InventorsHal Chen, Jialun Du, Jiwei Fan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a first resistor, a first negative threshold transistor, a second resistor and a second negative threshold transistor coupled in series between a first voltage bus and a second voltage bus, and a first positive threshold transistor connected between a common node of the second resistor and the first negative threshold transistor, and the first voltage bus, wherein a first reference voltage is generated on a first reference voltage bus, and wherein the first reference voltage bus is coupled to a common node of a drain/source terminal of the second negative threshold transistor and the second resistor.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a first resistor, a first negative threshold transistor having a first negative threshold voltage, a second resistor and a second negative threshold transistor having a second negative threshold voltage, wherein the first resistor, the first negative threshold transistor, the second resistor, and the second negative threshold transistor are coupled in series between a first voltage bus and a second voltage bus;
- and
- a first positive threshold transistor having a positive threshold voltage, wherein the first positive threshold transistor is connected between a common node of the second resistor and the first negative threshold transistor, and the first voltage bus, wherein a first reference voltage is generated on a first reference voltage bus, and wherein the first reference voltage bus is coupled to a common node of a drain/source terminal of the second negative threshold transistor and the second resistor.
A method comprising:
- providing a first voltage reference apparatus comprising a first resistor, a first negative threshold transistor having a first negative threshold voltage, a second resistor and a second negative threshold transistor having a second negative threshold voltage, wherein the first resistor, the first negative threshold transistor, the second resistor, and the second negative threshold transistor are coupled in series between a first voltage bus and a second voltage bus, and a first positive threshold transistor having a positive threshold voltage, wherein the first positive threshold transistor is connected between a common node of the second resistor and the first negative threshold transistor, and the first voltage bus;
- and
- configuring the first voltage reference apparatus to generate a first reference voltage on a first reference voltage bus, wherein the first reference voltage is equal to a sum of a voltage on the first voltage bus, a gate-to-source voltage of the first positive threshold transistor and a source-to-gate voltage of the second negative threshold transistor.
A system comprising:
- a plurality of voltage reference apparatuses stacked over one another between a first voltage bus and a second voltage bus to form a voltage reference system configured to generate a plurality of reference voltages, wherein each voltage reference apparatus comprises:
- two resistors and two negative threshold transistors having negative threshold voltages, wherein the two negative threshold transistors are coupled in series;
- and
- one positive threshold transistor having a positive threshold voltage, wherein the one positive threshold transistor is connected in parallel with a circuit branch comprising one negative threshold transistor and one resistor connected in series.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.