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US 7,825,700 B2Granted
Integrated circuit comparator or amplifier
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorLeonard Forbes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit comparator comprises a differential amplifier, a source follower circuit coupled to a gate terminal of a first transistor in the differential amplifier, and an output circuit. One or more source follower circuits may be utilized in connection with the differential amplifier, and one or more source follower circuits may be utilized in connection with the output circuit.
Claims14
A differential amplifier comprising:
- a first transistor having a first gate terminal and a first source or drain terminal;
- a second transistor having a second gate terminal coupled to the first gate terminal and a second source or drain terminal;
- a source follower circuit having an input terminal coupled to the first source or drain terminal and an output terminal coupled to the first and second gate terminals;
- a third transistor having a third gate terminal configured to receive a reference signal and a third source or drain terminal coupled to the first source or drain terminal;
- and
- a fourth transistor having a fourth gate terminal configured to receive an input signal and a fourth source or drain terminal coupled to the second source or drain terminal.
3 more elements
An inverter amplifier comprising:
- a first output terminal;
- an input terminal;
- a first transistor having a first gate coupled to the input terminal, a second terminal coupled to the first output terminal, and a third terminal coupled to a first power supply voltage;
- a source follower circuit coupled to the input terminal, the source follower circuit having a second output terminal;
- and
- a second transistor having a second gate coupled to the second output terminal, a fourth terminal coupled to a second power supply voltage, and a fifth terminal coupled to the first output terminal, the second transistor configured to couple the second power supply voltage to the first output terminal when conductive.
3 more elements
A comparator comprising:
- a differential amplifier comprising:
- a first transistor having a first gate terminal and a first source or drain terminal;
- a second transistor having a second gate terminal coupled to the first gate terminal and a second source or drain terminal;
- a first source follower circuit having a first input terminal coupled to the second source or drain terminal and a first output terminal coupled to the first and second gate terminals;
- a third transistor having a third gate terminal configured to receive a reference signal and a third source or drain terminal coupled to the first source or drain terminal;
- and
- a fourth transistor having a fourth gate terminal configured to receive an input signal and a fourth source or drain terminal coupled to the second source or drain terminal;
- and
- an inverter amplifier coupled to the differential amplifier, the inverter amplifier comprising:
- a second source follower circuit having a second input terminal coupled to the fourth source or drain terminal, and a second output terminal;
- a fifth transistor having a fifth gate terminal coupled to the second output terminal and a fifth source or drain terminal configure to generate an inverted output signal based in part on a signal at the second input terminal.
8 more elements
A method for comparing an input signal and a reference signal, the method comprising:
- receiving the input signal and the reference signal at input terminals of a differential amplifier having at least two transistors;
- applying a first gate voltage to the at least two transistors in part using a first source follower circuit;
- generating a first output signal at a terminal of at least one of the two transistors;
- and
- receiving the first output signal at an inverter amplifier including at least a third transistor;
- applying a second gate voltage to the third transistor in part using a second source follower circuit;
- and
- generating a second output signal at a terminal of the third transistor based in part on the first output signal.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.