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US 9,429,975 B2Granted
Band-gap reference circuit for biasing an RF device
AssigneeSkyworks Solutions, Inc.
InventorsZiv Alon, Aleksey A. Lyalin, Jing Sun, Tin Wai Kwan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A voltage reference circuit implemented in GaAs to provide an output voltage component proportional to absolute temperature is described herein. The various embodiments of the voltage reference circuit described here can be used to provide precision voltage to bias a RF device. The voltage reference circuit can be provided on the same die as the RF device. The various embodiments described herein can be implemented in a GaAs material system.
Claims20
A voltage reference circuit, comprising:
- a precision voltage generator including a plurality of transistors and configured to provide an output voltage having a first component that depends on a band-gap of the plurality of transistors and a second component that is proportional to absolute temperature, the plurality of transistors including a first bipolar transistor and a second bipolar transistor, a base of the second bipolar transistor connected to a base of the first bipolar transistor;
- an enable circuit configured to selectively enable the precision voltage generator based on a voltage of an enable terminal;
- and
- a mode-control circuit operatively associated with the precision voltage generator and configured to selectively operate the precision voltage generator in a low power mode based on a voltage of an input terminal.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a voltage reference circuit configured to generate an output voltage having a component proportional to absolute temperature;
- a current mirror circuit configured to receive the output voltage and to generate a bias voltage for inputting to a RF device;
- and
- a mirror shut-off circuit configured to selectively enable the current mirror circuit based on a voltage of an enable terminal, the mirror shut-off circuit including a bipolar transistor having a base connected to the enable terminal, a FET, a first FET current source, and a second FET current source, a source of the first FET current source and a drain of the second FET current source connected to a gate of the FET.
1 more element
A semiconductor die comprising:
- a voltage reference circuit including a plurality of transistors and configured to provide an output voltage having a first component that depends on a band-gap of the plurality of transistors and a second component that is proportional to absolute temperature;
- a current mirror circuit configured to generate a bias voltage based on the output voltage from the voltage reference circuit;
- a mirror shut-off circuit configured to selectively enable the current mirror circuit based on a voltage of an enable terminal, the mirror shut-off circuit including a bipolar transistor having a base connected to the enable terminal, a FET, a first FET current source, and a second FET current source, a source of the first FET current source and a drain of the second FET current source connected to a gate of the FET;
- and
- a RF device configured to receive the bias voltage from the current mirror circuit.
2 more elements
A mobile device comprising:
- a transmitter for generating an radio frequency (RF) signal;
- an antenna configured to direct the generated RF signal out of the mobile device;
- and
- a semiconductor module configured to receive the RF signal from the transmitter, the semiconductor module including a switch and a GaAs die connected to the switch, the GaAs die having a voltage reference circuit configured to provide an output voltage having a component proportional to absolute temperature, the semiconductor module further including a current mirror circuit configured to receive the output voltage and a mirror shut-off circuit configured to selectively enable the current mirror circuit based on a voltage of an enable terminal, the semiconductor module configured to condition the RF signal and to transmit the RF signal to the antenna, the mirror shut-off circuit including a bipolar transistor having a base connected to the enable terminal, a FET, a first FET current source, and a second FET current source, a source of the first FET current source and a drain of the second FET current source connected to a gate of the FET.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.