Family of slew-enhanced operational transconductance amplifiers

An operational transconductance amplifier with enhanced slew rate, the amplifier comprising:

• a pre-amplifier circuit;
• and
• a main amplifier circuit, the main amplifier circuit comprising an input stage and an output stage;
• wherein an amplified signal output of the pre-amplifier circuit is coupled to a signal input of the input stage of the main amplifier circuit;
• wherein at least one of the pre-amplifier circuit and the main amplifier circuit is configured to accept a differential input;
• wherein the pre-amplifier circuit is electrically coupled to an output stage of the main amplifier circuit by at least a first pair and a second pair of transistors configured to transfer current from the pre-amplifier circuit to the output stage of the main amplifier circuit;
• and
• wherein the pre-amplifier circuit and the input stage of the main amplifier circuit are electrically coupled to the output stage of the main amplifier circuit by the first and second pairs of transistors.

A method for enhancing slew rate of an operational transconductance amplifier, the method comprising:

• forming a main amplifier circuit, the main amplifier circuit comprising an input stage and an output stage;
• forming a pre-amplifier circuit electrically coupled to the main amplifier circuit, wherein an amplified signal output of the pre-amplifier circuit is coupled to a signal input of the input stage of the main amplifier circuit, wherein at least one of the pre-amplifier circuit and the main amplifier circuit is configured to accept a differential input;
• and
• transferring current from a pre-amplifier circuit to the output stage of a main amplifier circuit by at least a first pair and a second pair of transistors.

An operational transconductance amplifier with enhanced slew rate, the amplifier comprising:

• a pre-amplifier circuit configurable as a differential common-source amplifier;
• and
• a main amplifier circuit comprising a differential input stage and an output stage;
• wherein a differential output voltage of the pre-amplifier circuit is electrically coupled to the differential input stage of the main amplifier circuit and the pre-amplifier circuit is further electrically coupled by at least a first pair and a second pair of transistors to the output stage of the main amplifier circuit, the first pair and the second pair of transistors configured to transfer current from the pre-amplifier circuit to the output stage of the main amplifier circuit.