Semiconductor device comprising analog to digital converters sharing reference capacitor and system on chip comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9503117-B2
Application number	US-201615052474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

Provided are a semiconductor device and a System on Chip (SoC). The semiconductor device includes a reference capacitor that receives a reference voltage from a reference voltage generator, a first successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC), for converting a first analog signal into a first digital signal, using a first sampling capacitor that has a first capacitance and is connected to the reference capacitor through a first switching element, and a second sampling capacitor that has a second capacitance that is less than that of the first sampling capacitor, connected to the reference capacitor through a second switching element, a second SAR ADC, for converting a second analog signal into a second digital signal, using a third sampling capacitor that has a third capacitance, connected to the reference capacitor through a third switching element, and a fourth sampling capacitor that has a fourth capacitance that is less than that of the third sampling capacitance connected to the reference capacitor through a fourth switching element, and a controller configured to connect the first switching element and the third switching element to the reference capacitor at different times.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a reference capacitor that receives a reference voltage from a reference voltage generator;
a first successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC), for converting a first analog signal into a first digital signal, using a first sampling capacitor that has a first capacitance, connected to the reference capacitor through a first switching element, and a second sampling capacitor that has a second capacitance that is less than that of the first sampling capacitor, connected to the reference capacitor through a second switching element;
a second SAR ADC, for converting a second analog signal into a second digital signal, using a third sampling capacitor that has a third capacitance, connected to the reference capacitor through a third switching element, and a fourth sampling capacitor that has a fourth capacitance that is less than that of the third sampling capacitor connected to the reference capacitor through a fourth switching element; and
a controller configured to connect the first switching element and the third switching element to the reference capacitor at different times.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first sampling capacitor is configured to determine a most significant bit (MSB) of the first digital signal, and the third sampling capacitor is configured to determine the MSB of the second digital signal.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance of the reference capacitor is greater than the capacitance of the first sampling capacitor, and
the capacitance of the reference capacitor is greater than the capacitance of the second sampling capacitor.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first analog signal includes an in-phase signal, and
the second analog signal includes a quadrature phase signal.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to sequentially connect the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, and the fourth switching element to the reference capacitor.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to connect the third switching element to the reference capacitor, while the second switching element is connected to the reference capacitor.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a delay line configured to provide a control signal to the first switching element and the third switching element.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third SAR ADC connected to the reference capacitor along with the first SAR ADC and the second SAR ADC for converting a third analog signal into a third digital signal, using the reference capacitor and a plurality of third sampling capacitors; and
a fourth SAR ADC connected to the reference capacitor along with the first SAR ADC, the second SAR ADC, and the third SAR ADC for converting a fourth analog signal into a fourth digital signal, using the reference capacitor and a plurality of fourth sampling capacitors.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the first analog signal and the second analog signal include an in-phase signal, and
the third analog signal and the fourth analog signal include a quadrature phase signal.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third SAR ADC, for converting a third analog input signal into a third digital signal, using a fifth sampling capacitor that has a fifth capacitance and is connected to the reference capacitor through a fifth switching element, and a sixth sampling capacitor that has a sixth capacitance that is less than that of the fifth capacitance, connected to the reference capacitor through a sixth switching element; and
a fourth SAR ADC, for converting a fourth analog input signal into a fourth digital signal, using a seventh sampling capacitor that has a seventh capacitance and is connected to the reference capacitor through a seventh switching element, and an eighth sampling capacitor that has an eighth capacitance that is less than that of the seventh capacitance, connected to the reference capacitor through an eighth switching element,
wherein the controller is further configured to connect the first switching element, the third switching element, the fifth switching element and the seventh switching to the reference capacitor at different times.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to connect the fifth switching element to the reference capacitor, while the second switching element is connected to the reference capacitor.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to connect the seventh switching element to the reference capacitor, while the fourth switching element is connected to the reference capacitor.

13. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a reference capacitor that receives a reference voltage from a reference voltage generator;
a first successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC) for converting a first analog signal into a first digital signal, using the reference capacitor and a plurality of first sampling capacitors having different capacitances;
a second SAR ADC connected to the reference capacitor along with the first SAR ADC for converting a second analog signal into a second digital signal, using the reference capacitor and a plurality of second sampling capacitors having different capacitances; and
a controller configured to connect a third sampling capacitor having a largest capacitance among the plurality of first sampling capacitors to the reference capacitor at a first time, and connect a fourth sampling capacitor having a largest capacitance among the plurality of second sampling capacitors to the reference capacitor at a second time different from the first time.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to not connect the fourth sampling capacitor to the reference capacitor, while the third sampling capacitor is connected to the reference capacitor.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 14 ,
wherein capacitance of the reference capacitor is greater than the capacitance of the third sampling capacitor, and
the capacitance of the reference capacitor is greater than the capacitance of the fourth sampling capacitor.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a third SAR ADC and a fourth SAR ADC each connected to the reference capacitor along with the first SAR ADC and the second SAR ADC, wherein the third SAR ADC converts a third analog signal into a third digital signal, using the reference capacitor and a plurality of fifth sampling capacitors having different capacitances, and the fourth SAR ADC converts a fourth analog signal into a fourth digital signal, using the reference capacitor and a plurality of sixth sampling capacitors having different capacitances,
wherein the controller is further configured to connect one of the plurality of fifth sampling capacitors having a largest capacitance to the reference capacitor at a third time that is later than the second time, and connect one of the sixth sampling capacitors having a largest capacitance to the reference capacitor at a fourth time that is later than the third time.

17. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a first successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC) for receiving a first analog signal when a sampling sign

Assignees

• Lee Jong-Woo
• Oh Seung-Hyun
• Cho Byung-Hak
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jong-Woo
• Oh Seung-Hyun
• Cho Byung-Hak

Classifications

• H03M1/12

  Analogue/digital converters ({H03M1/001 – } H03M1/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03M1/0695

  using less than the maximum number of output states per stage or step, e.g. 1.5 per stage or less than 1.5 bit per stage type · CPC title

• H03M1/38 Primary

  sequentially only, e.g. successive approximation type (converting more than one bit per step H03M1/14) · CPC title

• H03M1/00

  Analogue/digital conversion; Digital/analogue conversion (conversion of analogue values to or from differential modulation H03M3/00) · CPC title

• H03M1/123

  Simultaneous, i.e. using one converter per channel but with common control or reference circuits for multiple converters · CPC title