Low-voltage CMOS comparator

A method of comparing two voltages, comprising;

• deriving a differential current from the two voltages, in a differential input circuit,
• providing the differential current to a cascode circuit,
• diode-loading with a first diode-connected load a first portion of a differential signal resulting from action of the cascode circuit on the differential current,
• diode-loading with a second diode-connected load a second portion of the differential signal resulting from action of the cascode circuit on the differential current, wherein the steps of diode-loading operate to derive an amplified difference voltage,
• bypassing the step of loading with the first diode-connected load to reduce a quiescent voltage drop associated with the step of loading with the first diode-connected load, and
• bypassing the step of loading with the second diode-connected load to reduce a quiescent voltage drop associated with the step of loading with the second diode-connected load.

A comparator gain stage for comparing two voltages, comprising:

• means for deriving a differential current from the two voltages,
• cascode circuit means responsive to the means for deriving,
• first means for diode-loading responsive to the cascode circuit means, and to the means for deriving,
• second means for diode-loading responsive to the cascode circuit means, and to the means for deriving, wherein the first and second means for diode-loading operate to derive an amplified difference voltage,
• first means for bypassing the first means for loading to reduce a first quiescent voltage drop associated with the first means for loading, and
• second means for bypassing the second means for loading to reduce a second quiescent voltage drop associated with the second means for loading.

A comparator gain stage, comprising:

• a differential pair input circuit comprising first and second input devices, the first input device being placed in a first electrical path between a first supply voltage and a first output node, the second input device being placed in a second electrical path between the supply voltage and a second output node;
• a third electrical path between the first and a second supply voltages consisting essentially of the series combination of:
• a first current source device operatively connected between the first supply voltage and the first output node,
• a first cascode device operatively connected to the first output node, and
• a first diode-connected load device operatively connected between the second supply voltage and the first cascode device,
• a first current means parallel to the first load device,
• a fourth electrical path between first and second supply voltages consisting essentially of the series combination of:
• a second current source device operatively connected between the first supply voltage and the second output node,
• a second cascode device operatively connected to the second output node, and
• a second diode-connected load device operatively connected between the second supply voltage and the second cascode device, and
• a second current means parallel to the second load device.

A comparator gain circuit having a first and a second input and an output comprising:

• a first comparator gain stage implemented as part of an integrated circuit the first comparator gain stage comprising:
• a first differential pair input circuit comprising first and second input devices responsive to the first and second inputs of the comparator gain circuit, the first input device being placed in a first electrical path between a supply voltage and a first output node, the second input device being placed in a second electrical path between the supply voltage and a second output node;
• a first cascode device in a third electrical path between the supply voltage and the first output node, the third electrical path being distinct from the first and second electrical paths;
• a second cascode device in a fourth electrical path between the supply voltage and the second output node, the fourth electrical path being distinct from the first and second electrical paths;
• a first diode-connected output device in the third path and a second diode-connected output device in the fourth path, said first and second output devices being responsive to the input devices and the cascode devices;
• and
• fifth and sixth current means parallel to the output devices,
• a second comparator gain stage responsive to the output devices of the first comparator gain stage, and implemented as part of the same integrated circuit as the first comparator gain stage, the second comparator gain stage comprising:
• a second differential pair input circuit comprising third and fourth input devices, the second input device being placed in a seventh electrical path between the supply voltage and a third output node, the fourth input device being placed in an eighth electrical path between the supply voltage and a fourth output node;
• a third cascode device in a ninth electrical path between the supply voltage and the third output node, the ninth electrical path being distinct from the seventh and eighth electrical paths;
• a fourth cascode device in a tenth electrical path between the supply voltage and the fourth output node, the tenth electrical path being distinct from the seventh and eighth electrical paths;
• a third output device in the ninth path and a fourth output device in the tenth path, said third and fourth output devices being responsive to the third and fourth input devices and the third and fourth cascode devices, and wherein the output of the comparator gain circuit is responsive to the third and fourth cascode devices;
• and
• eleventh and twelfth current means parallel to the third and fourth output devices;
• and
• wherein the ratio between the area of the first and second input devices to the area of the first and second output devices is the same as ratio between the area of the third and fourth input devices to the area of the third and fourth devices so that the first and second gain stages have the same grain, and wherein the input, cascode, and output devices in the first comparator gain stage are scaled versions of the input, cascode, and output devices in the second gain stage.