Reference voltage generation circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11048285-B2
Application number	US-202016903365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2020
Priority date	Jul 30, 2019
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A reference voltage generation circuit includes a supply voltage terminal, a node, a current source, an output terminal, a common voltage terminal, a bandgap reference circuit and a feedback circuit. The supply voltage terminal is used to provide a supply voltage. The current source is coupled between the supply voltage terminal and the node, and used to receive the supply voltage and generate a current according to a feedback signal, and output the current to establish at the node a first voltage substantially insensitive to the supply voltage. The common voltage terminal is used to provide a common voltage. The bandgap reference circuit is coupled between the node and the common voltage terminal, and used to establish a temperature-invariant bandgap voltage at the output terminal. The feedback circuit is coupled to the node and the current source, and used to generate the feedback signal according to the first voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reference voltage generation circuit for generating a bandgap reference voltage, the reference voltage generation circuit comprising:
a supply voltage terminal, configured to provide a supply voltage;
a node;
a first current source, coupled between the supply voltage terminal and the node, and configured to generate a first current according to the supply voltage, and output the first current to establish a first voltage at the node;
an output terminal;
a common voltage terminal, configured to provide a common voltage;
a bandgap reference circuit, coupled between the node and the common voltage terminal, configured to establish the bandgap reference voltage at the output terminal, and comprising:
a second current source, coupled to the node, and configured to generate a second current to establish the bandgap reference voltage at the output terminal;
a first resistor, having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the first resistor being coupled to the output terminal;
a first bipolar junction transistor, having a collector, a base, and an emitter, wherein the collector of the first bipolar junction transistor is coupled to the second terminal of the first resistor and the base of the first bipolar junction transistor, and the emitter of the first bipolar junction transistor is coupled to the common voltage terminal;
a second resistor, having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the second resistor being coupled to the output terminal;
a second bipolar junction transistor, having a collector coupled to the second terminal of the second resistor, a base coupled to the base of the first bipolar junction transistor, and an emitter;
a third resistor, coupled between the emitter of the second bipolar junction transistor and the common voltage terminal;
a third bipolar junction transistor, having a collector, a base coupled to the collector or the base of the second bipolar junction transistor, and an emitter coupled to the common voltage terminal; and
a fourth resistor, having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the fourth resistor being coupled to the node, and the second terminal of the fourth resistor being coupled to the second current source and the collector of the third bipolar junction transistor; and

a feedback circuit, coupled to the node and the first current source, configured to stabilize the first voltage, and comprising:
a fourth bipolar junction transistor, having a collector, a base, and an emitter coupled to the common voltage terminal, a voltage at the base of the fourth bipolar junction transistor being controlled by the first voltage; and
a fifth resistor, having a first terminal coupled to the supply voltage terminal and a second terminal coupled to the first current source and the collector of the fourth bipolar junction transistor.

2. The reference voltage generation circuit of claim 1 , wherein the feedback circuit further comprises:
a level shifter, coupled to the node, the base of the fourth bipolar junction transistor and the common voltage terminal, and configured to convert the first voltage into a voltage at the base of the fourth bipolar junction transistor.

3. The reference voltage generation circuit of claim 2 , wherein the level shifter comprises:
a fifth bipolar junction transistor, arranged into a diode configuration, having a collector coupled to the node, a base, and an emitter coupled to the base of the fourth bipolar junction transistor.

4. The reference voltage generation circuit of claim 3 , wherein the level shifter further comprises:
a sixth bipolar junction transistor, having a collector coupled to the emitter of the fifth bipolar junction transistor, a base coupled to the base of the first bipolar junction transistor, and an emitter coupled to the common voltage terminal.

5. The reference voltage generation circuit of claim 4 , wherein the first to the sixth bipolar junction transistors are NPN bipolar junction transistors.

6. The reference voltage generation circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first to the fourth bipolar junction transistors, and the first current source and the second current source are NPN heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT).

7. The reference voltage generation circuit of claim 1 , wherein:
the first current source comprises a first transistor having a first terminal coupled to the supply voltage terminal, a second terminal coupled to the node, and a control terminal coupled to the feedback circuit; and
the second current source comprises a second transistor having a first terminal coupled to the node, a second terminal coupled to the output terminal, and a control terminal coupled to the second terminal of the fourth resistor.

8. The reference voltage generation circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first bipolar junction transistor and the second bipolar junction transistor are different in cross-sectional areas.

9. A reference voltage generation circuit for generating a bandgap reference voltage, the reference voltage generation circuit comprising:
a supply voltage terminal, configured to provide a supply voltage;
a node;
a first current source, coupled between the supply voltage terminal and the node, and configured to receive the supply voltage and generate a first current according to a feedback signal, and output the first current to establish a first voltage at the node substantially insensitive to variations of the supply voltage;
an output terminal;
a common voltage terminal, configured to provide a common voltage;
a bandgap reference circuit, coupled to the node and the common voltage terminal, configured to establish at the output terminal the bandgap reference voltage substantially insensitive to variations of temperature; and
a feedback circuit, coupled between the node and the first current source, configured to generate the feedback signal according to the first voltage, and comprising:
a fourth bipolar junction transistor, having a collector, a base, and an emitter coupled to the common voltage terminal, a voltage at the base of the fourth bipolar junction transistor is controlled by the first voltage; and
a fifth resistor, having a first terminal coupled to the supply voltage terminal and a second terminal coupled to the first current source and the collector of the fourth bipolar junction transistor to provide the feedback signal, wherein the feedback signal is controlled by a voltage at the base of the fourth bipolar junction transistor;

wherein a variation trend of the first voltage is related to a variation trend of the feedback signal.

10. The reference voltage generation circuit of claim 9 , wherein the bandgap reference circuit comprises:
a second current source, coupled to the node, and configured to generate a second current to establish the bandgap reference voltage at the output terminal;
a first resistor, having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the first resistor being coupled to the output terminal;
a first bipolar junction transistor, having a collector, a base, and an emitter, wherein the collector is coupled to the second terminal of the first resistor and the base of the first bipolar junction transistor, and the emitter of the first bipolar junction transistor is coupled to the common voltage terminal;
a second resistor, having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the second resistor being coupled to the output terminal;
a second bipolar junction transistor, having a collector coupled to the second terminal of the second resistor, a base coupled to the base of the first bipolar junction transistor, and an emitter;
a third re

Assignees

• Richwave Technology Corp

Inventors

• Chien Hwey-Ching

Classifications

• G05F3/22 Primary

  wherein the transistors are of the bipolar type only (G05F3/26, G05F3/30 take precedence) · CPC title

• G05F3/30

  Regulators using the difference between the base-emitter voltages of two bipolar transistors operating at different current densities (G05F3/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05F1/56 Primary

  using semiconductor devices in series with the load as final control devices (G05F1/461 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05F1/468 Primary

  characterised by reference voltage circuitry, e.g. soft start, remote shutdown · CPC title