Source follower

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10700647-B2
Application number	US-201916589085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2019
Priority date	Dec 8, 2016
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A source follower with an input node and an output node includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a DC (Direct Current) tracking circuit. The first transistor has a control terminal, a first terminal coupled to a first node, and a second terminal coupled to a second node. The second transistor has a control terminal, a first terminal coupled to a ground voltage, and a second terminal coupled to the first node. The DC tracking circuit sets the second DC voltage at the second node to a specific level. The specific level is determined according to the first DC voltage at the first node. The output node of the source follower is coupled to the first node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A source follower, comprising:
an input transistor, comprising an input terminal, a first terminal coupled to an output node of the source follower, and a second terminal coupled to a DC (Direct Current) tracking circuit; and
a current source circuit, comprising a control terminal, a first terminal coupled to ground, and a second terminal coupled to the output node;
wherein the DC tracking circuit is arranged for providing a second voltage to the second terminal of the input transistor, a level of the second voltage is determined according to a DC reference voltage, and a DC voltage of a first voltage at the output node is equal to the DC reference voltage; and the DC tracking circuit further generates a control signal to a control terminal of the input transistor according to the first voltage at the output node.

2. The source follower of claim 1 , wherein the DC tracking circuit comprises:
a first circuit, for receiving the DC reference voltage and a voltage to generate another control signal;
wherein the second voltage is generated according to the another control signal.

3. The source follower of claim 2 , wherein the DC tracking circuit further comprises:
a second circuit, for receiving the first voltage of the output node and the DC reference voltage to generate the control signal.

4. The source follower of claim 3 , wherein the DC tracking circuit further comprises:
a filter, for filtering the first voltage of the output node to generate a filtered first voltage;
wherein the second circuit receives the filtered first voltage and the DC reference voltage to generate the control signal.

5. The source follower of claim 3 , wherein the first circuit is a first operational amplifier, and the second circuit is a second operational amplifier.

6. The source follower of claim 5 , wherein a positive input terminal of the first operational amplifier receives the DC reference voltage, a negative input terminal of the first operational amplifier receives the voltage, a positive input terminal of the second operational amplifier receives the DC reference voltage, and a negative input terminal of the second operational amplifier receives the first voltage of the output node.

7. The source follower of claim 2 , wherein the DC tracking circuit further comprises:
a third circuit, for receiving the another control signal to generate the voltage to the first circuit.

8. The source follower of claim 7 , wherein the third circuit comprises:
a transistor, wherein a control terminal of the transistor receives the another control signal, and a first terminal of the transistor is coupled to a supply voltage; and
a resistor, wherein a first terminal of the resistor is coupled to a second terminal of the transistor, and a second terminal of the resistor is used to provide the voltage to the second circuit.

9. The source follower of claim 2 , wherein the DC tracking circuit further comprises:
a fourth circuit, coupled to the second circuit, for the receiving the another control signal to generate the second voltage.

Assignees

• Mediatek Inc

Inventors

• Kuo Che-Hsun

Classifications

• H03F1/0233 Primary

  by using a signal derived from the output signal, e.g. bootstrapping the voltage supply · CPC title

• H03K19/018507

  Interface arrangements · CPC title

• H03F2200/102

  A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit · CPC title

• H03F1/3205 Primary

  in field-effect transistor amplifiers · CPC title

• H03K19/00315 Primary

  in field-effect transistor circuits · CPC title