US 2016/0254820 A1 · Digital-To-Analog Converter Using Nonlinear Capacitance Compensation

Abstract

A semiconductor device fabrication operation is commonly used to manufacture one or more integrated circuits onto a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device fabrication operation forms one or more transistors onto an arrangement of fabrication layers to form the one or more integrated circuits which introduces unwanted capacitances, often referred to as parasitic capacitances, into the one or more transistors. The one or more integrated circuits include one or more compensation modules that, when combined with the parasitic capacitances of the one or more transistors, ideally linearizes the non-linearity caused by the parasitic capacitances of the one or more transistors. For example, the one or more compensation modules incorporate a non-linear or a piecewise linear transfer function that is inversely related to the parasitic capacitances of the one or more transistors.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for converting a digital input signal from a digital representation in a digital signaling domain to an analog representation in the analog signaling domain to provide an analog output signal, comprising:

a plurality of DAC current cells, having a plurality of transistors, configured to convert the digital input signal to the analog output signal;
and
a compensation module, having a transfer function, coupled to the plurality of transistors,
wherein the transfer function is inversely related to a parasitic capacitance of the plurality of transistors,

1 more element

An electronic circuit, comprising:

an integrated circuit that is formed onto a semiconductor substrate using a semiconductor fabrication process, the formation of the integrated circuit onto the semiconductor substrate introducing a parasitic capacitance into integrated circuit;
and
a compensation module, having a transfer function, coupled to the integrated circuit,
wherein the transfer function is inversely related to the parasitic capacitance of the integrated circuit.

1 more element

A compensation module for additively combining with a parasitic capacitance of an integrated circuit, comprising:

a first compensation module, having a first plurality of switchable impedances, configured to deactivate one or more of the first plurality of switchable impedances to increase a capacitance of the compensation module;
and
a second compensation module, having a second plurality of switchable impedances, configured to deactivate one or more of the second plurality of switchable impedances to decrease the capacitance of the compensation module.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Digital-To-Analog Converter Using Nonlinear Capacitance Compensation

Life of this patent

Digital-To-Analog Converter Using Nonlinear Capacitance Compensation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20