# US 7,609,044 B2 · Current generator

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- Number: US 7,609,044 B2
- Document ID: US7609044B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/808,055
- Filed: 2007-06-06
- Published: 2008-12-11
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2007-06-06
- Assignees: Himax Technologies Limited
- Inventors: Chih-Haur Huang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609044B2

## CPC

- G05F 3/30: Regulators using the difference between the base-emitter voltages of two bipolar transistors operating at different current densities (G05F3/26 takes precedence)
- G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

A current generator is provided, including a bandgap circuit, an operational amplifier, and an output resistor. The bandgap circuit is used to output a bandgap reference voltage insensitive to environment temperature and supply voltages. The operational amplifier has a positive input receiving the bandgap reference voltage, a negative input, and an output connected to the negative input to obtain an output voltage substantially equal to the bandgap reference voltage. The output resistor is connected to the output of the operational amplifier serially to generate an output current flowing through the output resistor. Thus, the output current generated by the current generator is insensitive to environment temperature and supply voltages, and therefore more accurate and stable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A current generator, comprising:
a bandgap circuit outputting a bandgap reference voltage, the bandgap circuit comprising:
first, second and third bipolar junction transistors (BJT) having their collectors connected together to a negative power supply;
first, second and third MOS transistors having their sources connected together to a positive power supply and respectively biased to flow first, second and third internal currents from their drains into the emitters of the first, second and third BJTs;
first and second resistors respectively connected between the emitter of the second BJT and the drain of the second MOS transistor and between the emitter of the third BJT and the drain of the third MOS transistor; and
a differential amplifier generating a bias voltage according to the voltages at the drains of the first and second MOS transistors for biasing of the first, second and third MOS transistors,
wherein the voltage at the drain of the third MOS transistor is output as the bandgap reference voltage;
an operational amplifier having a positive input receiving the bandgap reference voltage, a negative input, and an output connected to the negative input to obtain an output voltage substantially equal to the bandgap reference voltage; and
an output resistor connected to the output of the operational amplifier serially to generate an output current flowing through the output resistor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The current generator according to claim 1, wherein the bandgap circuit is a PTAT (proportional to absolute temperature) voltage generator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The current generator according to claim 1, wherein the area of the p-n junction of the second BJT is larger than the area of the p-n junction of the first BJT.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The current generator according to claim 1, wherein the operational amplifier is a differential pair amplifier.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The current generator according to claim 1, wherein the operational amplifier comprises:
a pair of MOS transistors biased to flow a bias current and having their gates defined as positive and negative input; and
a output MOS transistor having its gate connecting, to the drain of one of the pair of MOS transistors, having its source connected to a positive power supply, and having its drain outputting the output voltage.