Patent · US Expired

Bandgap reference circuit and method

US5900772A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
9References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 18, 1997
Grant dateMay 4, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 18, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05F3/267
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A bandgap reference circuit (60) provides a selectable bandgap reference voltage that is substantially insensitive to temperature variations of an operating reference circuit. A final curvature caused by a current (I.sub.2) in a temperature coefficient compensation transistor (40) is equal to a drift in a Vbe voltage of a transistor (18) having a negative temperature coefficient plus the drift in a Vbe voltage of a transistor (20) having a positive temperature coefficient minus the drift in a Vbe voltage of the temperature coefficient compensation transistor (40). The nonlinearity of the current (I.sub.2) in the temperature coefficient compensation transistor (40) is adjusted by selecting a compensating current and associated temperature coefficient for the compensating current (I.sub.0) to minimize the characteristic bow or curvature of the current (I.sub.2) in the temperature coefficient compensation transistor (40).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.