US 2020/0004285 A1 · Low-Temperature Voltage Reference Using Coulomb Blockade Mechanism

Abstract

Example embodiments relate to low-temperature voltage references using Coulomb blockade mechanisms. One embodiment includes a method of generating a reference voltage. The method includes providing a first single-electron transistor (SET) and a second SET connected in series. The method also includes biasing the first SET and the second SET using a same biasing current (Ib). Further, the method includes operating the first SET at a slope of a first Coulomb peak and the second SET at a slope of a second Coulomb peak. The slope of the first Coulomb peak and the second Coulomb peak are of the same slope type selected from a rising slope, a peak maximum, and a falling slope. The second Coulomb peak is different from the first Coulomb peak. Additionally, the method includes generating the reference voltage (Vref) based on a difference between gate-to-source voltages of the first SET (Vgs1) and the second SET (Vgs2).

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method of generating a reference voltage, comprising:

providing a first single-electron transistor (SET) and a second SET connected in series with the first SET;
biasing the first SET and the second SET using a same biasing current (Ib);
operating the first SET at a slope of a first Coulomb peak, wherein the slope of the first Coulomb peak is of a slope type selected from a rising slope, a peak maximum, and a falling slope;
operating the second SET at a slope of a second Coulomb peak, wherein the second Coulomb peak is different from the first Coulomb peak, and wherein the slope of the second Coulomb peak is of the same slope type as the slope of the first Coulomb peak;
and
generating the reference voltage (Vref) based on a difference between a gate-to-source voltage (Vgs1) of the first SET and a gate-to-source voltage (Vgs2) of the second SET.

3 more elements

A reference voltage generator, comprising:

a first single-electron transistor (SET) and a second SET connected in series with the first SET;
a current biasing circuit adapted to bias the first SET and the second SET using a same biasing current (Ib);
at least one window selector circuit adapted to cause the first SET to operate at a slope of a first Coulomb peak and to cause the second SET to operate at a slope of a second Coulomb peak, wherein the second Coulomb peak is different from the first Coulomb peak;
a feedback loop circuit adapted to further operate the first SET and the second SET such that a slope type of the slope of the first Coulomb peak and a slope type of the slope of the second Coulomb peak are a same slope type selected from a rising slope, a peak maximum, and a falling slope;
and
an output circuit adapted to output a reference voltage (Vref) based on a difference between a gate-to-source voltage (Vgs1) of the first SET and a gate-to-source (Vgs2) voltage of the second SET.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Low-Temperature Voltage Reference Using Coulomb Blockade Mechanism

Life of this patent

Low-Temperature Voltage Reference Using Coulomb Blockade Mechanism

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15