System and method for voltage generation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11092991-B2
Application number	US-201815876503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2018
Priority date	Jan 24, 2017
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A voltage generator circuitry includes first to third bipolar transistors having commonly-connected base electrodes, first and second current mirror circuitries, first and second differential amplifiers; a first resistor; and a current-voltage conversion circuitry. The first current mirror circuitry supplies currents to the first to third bipolar transistors and to the current-voltage conversion circuitry. The second current mirror circuitry supplies currents to the first to third bipolar transistors, and s to the current-voltage conversion circuitry. The first and second differential amplifiers control the first and second current mirror. The current-voltage conversion circuitry converts a sum current of the first and second currents into an output voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Voltage generator circuitry comprising:
a first bipolar transistor, a second bipolar transistor, and a third bipolar transistor each having commonly-connected base electrodes;
first current mirror circuitry configured to:
supply collector currents to the first bipolar transistor, the second bipolar transistor, and third bipolar transistor; and
supply a first current to current-voltage conversion circuitry;

second current mirror circuitry configured to:
supply base currents to the first, second, and third bipolar transistors; and
supply a second current to the current-voltage conversion circuitry;

first and second differential amplifiers configured to control the first and second current mirror circuitries so that potentials of collector electrodes of the first bipolar transistor, the second bipolar transistor, and the third bipolar transistor are equal to each other; and
a first resistor connected in series with the second bipolar transistor,
wherein the current-voltage conversion circuitry is configured to convert the first and second currents into an output voltage.

2. The voltage generator circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the first and third bipolar transistors have a same emitter size, and
wherein the second bipolar transistor has an emitter size larger than that of the first bipolar transistor.

3. The voltage generator circuitry according to claim 2 , wherein the first current mirror circuitry is configured so that the collector currents supplied to the first, second, and third bipolar transistors has a same current level, and
wherein the first current is proportional to the collector currents.

4. The voltage generator circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the base currents suppled to the first, second, and third bipolar transistors have a same current level, and
wherein the second current is proportional to the base currents.

5. The voltage generator circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage generator circuitry is connected to first and second power supplies, one of which supplies a power supply voltage and the other acts as a circuit ground,
wherein the current-voltage conversion circuitry comprises:
a second resistor connected between a collector electrode of the first bipolar transistor and the second power supply;
a third resistor connected between a collector electrode of the second bipolar transistor and the second power supply;
a fourth resistor connected between a collector electrode of the third bipolar transistor and the second power supply; and
a fifth resistor having a first terminal supplied with the first and second currents and another terminal connected to the second power supply.

6. The voltage generator circuitry according to claim 5 , wherein the third and fourth resistors have a same resistance as the second resistor.

7. The voltage generator circuitry according to claim 5 , wherein the voltage generator circuitry is formed on a semiconductor substrate through an MOS transistor manufacturing process,
each of the first and second current mirror circuitries comprises a plurality of MOS transistors, and
the first, second, and third bipolar transistors comprise parasitic bipolar transistors formed in the semiconductor substrate.

8. The voltage generator circuitry according to claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second current mirror circuitries comprises a plurality of bipolar transistors.

9. The voltage generator circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage generator circuitry is connected to first and second power supplies, one of which supplies a power supply voltage and the other acts as a circuit ground,
the current-voltage conversion circuitry further comprises a sixth resistor, a seventh resistor and a fourth bipolar transistor which is diode-connected, and
the fourth bipolar transistor and the sixth resistor are connected in series between the second power supply and a node configured to supplied with the first and second currents to output the output voltage, and connected in parallel to the seventh resistor.

10. The voltage generator circuitry according to claim 9 , wherein the voltage generator circuitry is formed on a semiconductor substrate through an MOS transistor manufacturing process,
each of the first and second current mirror circuitries comprises a plurality of MOS transistors, and
the first, second, third, and fourth bipolar transistors comprise parasitic bipolar transistors integrated in the semiconductor substrate.

11. The voltage generator circuitry according to claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second current mirror circuitries includes a plurality of bipolar transistors.

12. The voltage generator circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the commonly-connected base electrodes are directly commonly-connected to each other.

13. An integrated circuit comprising:
voltage generation circuitry comprising:
a first bipolar transistor, a second bipolar transistor, and a third bipolar transistor each having commonly-connected base electrodes;
first current mirror circuitry configured to:
supply collector currents to the first bipolar transistor, the second bipolar transistor, and third bipolar transistor; and
supply a first current to current-voltage conversion circuitry;

second current mirror circuitry configured to:
supply base currents to the first, second, and third bipolar transistors; and
supply a second current to the current-voltage conversion circuitry;

first and second differential amplifiers configured to control the first and second current mirror circuitries to maintain a potential of a collector electrode of the first bipolar transistor, a potential of a collector electrode of the second bipolar transistor, and a potential of a collector electrode of the third bipolar transistor equal to each other; and
a first resistor connected in series with the second bipolar transistor,

wherein the current-voltage conversion circuitry is configured to convert the first and second currents into an output voltage.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 13 , wherein the first and third bipolar transistors have a same emitter size, and wherein the second bipolar transistor has an emitter size larger than that of the first bipolar transistor.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 13 , wherein the base currents suppled to the first, second, and third bipolar transistors have a same current level, and wherein the second current is proportional to the base currents.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 13 , wherein the voltage generator circuitry is connected to first and second power supplies, one of which supplies a power supply voltage and the other acts as a circuit ground,
wherein the current-voltage conversion circuitry comprises:
a second resistor connected between a collector electrode of the first bipolar transistor and the second power supply;
a third resistor connected between a collector electrode of the second bipolar transistor and the second power supply;
a fourth resistor connected between a collector electrode of the third bipolar transistor and the second power supply; and
a fifth resistor having a first terminal supplied with the first and second currents and another terminal connected to the second power supply.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 13 , wherein the voltage generator circuitry is connected to first and second power supplies, one of which supplies a power supply voltage and the other acts as a circuit ground,
the current-voltage conversion circuitry comprises a second resistor, a third resistor, and

Assignees

• Synaptics Japan Gk

Inventors

• Sone Yasuhiko

Classifications

• G05F3/267 Primary

  using both bipolar and field-effect technology · CPC title

• G05F1/56 Primary

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