Semiconductor device for signal amplification

A semiconductor device for signal amplification comprising:

• a ladder network including a plurality of cascade-coupled nodes to which an input signal supplied to an input node is transmitted, each node being weighted corresponding to the respective position in the ladder network and operable to generate a voltage of the correspondingly weighted input signal;
• a plurality of first transconductance amplifier stages arranged corresponding to each node of the ladder network, each of the first transconductance amplifier stages being operable to convert the voltage generated at the corresponding node to a current and to transmit the current to an output signal line arranged in common to the first transconductance amplifier stages:
• and
• a logic control circuit operable to set the first transconductance amplifier stages to an enabled state selectively according to a control word,
• wherein the ladder network includes:
• a plurality of first impedance components coupled in series to the input node receiving the input signal;
• and
• a plurality of second impedance components arranged corresponding to the first impedance components and coupled to the corresponding first impedance component in parallel,
• wherein each of the second impedance components has a first sub impedance component and a second sub impedance component coupled in series, and
• wherein each transconductance amplifier stage receives a signal at a connection node between the corresponding first sub impedance component and the corresponding second sub impedance component.

A semiconductor device for signal amplification comprising:

• a ladder network including a plurality of cascade-coupled nodes to which an input signal supplied to an input node is transmitted, each node being weighted corresponding to the respective position in the ladder network and operable to generate a voltage of the correspondingly weighted input signal;
• a plurality of first transconductance amplifier stages arranged corresponding to each node of the ladder network, each of the first transconductance amplifier stages being operable to convert the voltage generated at the corresponding node to a current and to transmit the current to an output signal line arranged in common to the first transconductance amplifier stages:
• a logic control circuit operable to set the first transconductance amplifier stages to an enabled state selectively according to a control word;
• and
• at least one of second transconductance amplifier stage coupled to the input node and enabled selectively according to the control word, and in an enabled state, operable to transmit a current corresponding to an input signal at the input node to the output signal line,
• wherein the second transconductance amplifier stage has different transconductance from the first transconductance amplifier stage.