Image sensor amplifiers with reduced inter-circulation currents
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorAnilkumar PRATHIPATI
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image sensor may include an array of image sensor pixels. The array of image sensor pixels may be controlled by row driver circuitry. The row driver circuitry may include row drivers that receive power supply signals from transconductance amplifier circuitry. The transconductance amplifier circuitry may include multiple amplifiers with output ports shorted to one another. Each amplifier may include input transistors, cross-coupled transistors with a low threshold voltage, and additional transistors coupled in series with the cross-coupled transistors and having a moderate or high threshold voltage.
Claims20
An image sensor, comprising:
- an array of image sensor pixels;
- a plurality of row drivers configured to provide row control signals to the array of image sensor pixels;
- a first amplifier having a first output coupled to a first power supply terminal of a first row driver in the plurality of row drivers;
- and
- a second amplifier having a second output coupled to the first output and coupled to a second power supply terminal of a second row driver in the plurality of row drivers, wherein each of the first amplifier and the second amplifier comprises:
- a first transistor having a first channel type and having a gate terminal configured as a first amplifier input port;
- a second input transistor having the first channel type and having a gate terminal configured as a second amplifier input port;
- a third transistor having a second channel type different than the first channel type, the third transistor being coupled in series with the first transistor;
- and
- a fourth transistor having the second channel type, the fourth transistor being coupled in series with the second transistor and cross-coupled with the third transistor.
Circuitry comprising:
- a first amplifier having a first output port;
- and
- a second amplifier having a second output port shorted to the first output port, wherein each of the first amplifier and the second amplifier comprises:
- a first transistor having a gate terminal configured as a negative input port;
- a second transistor having a gate terminal configured as a positive input port;
- a third transistor coupled in series with the first transistor and having a first threshold voltage;
- a fourth transistor coupled in series with the second transistor and having the first threshold voltage;
- a fifth transistor coupled in series with the third transistor and having a second threshold voltage different than the first threshold voltage;
- and
- a sixth transistor coupled in series with the fourth transistor and having the second threshold voltage.
An amplifier, comprising:
- a first transistor having a gate terminal configured as a first amplifier input port;
- a second transistor having a gate terminal configured as a second amplifier input port;
- a third transistor having a first threshold voltage;
- a fourth transistor having the first threshold voltage, the fourth transistor being cross-coupled with the third transistor;
- and
- a fifth transistor coupled in series with the first and third transistors and having a second threshold voltage different than the first threshold voltage;
- and
- a sixth transistor coupled in series with the second and fourth transistors and having the second threshold voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.