Patent · US Expired

Low voltage bandgap reference circuit

US6426669B1 · kind B1 · utility

23Cited by
9References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 18, 2000
Grant dateJul 30, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 26, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05F3/30
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a bandgap voltage reference circuit in accordance with the present invention, the different-sized emitters of the two bipolar devices of a &Dgr;VBE stage return to ground (or other bias voltage) through separate resistors. The VBE term of the reference device is supplied by a VBE current source through a third resistor. The proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT) term of the reference occurs as the difference of base-emitter voltages &Dgr;VBE between the larger and smaller emitters. An output voltage Vout multiplier resistor feeds to the larger emitter through an inverting amplifier. In one embodiment of the invention, the output voltage Vout trim at one temperature is obtained by trimming the base-emitter resistor of the “small emitter” device to compensate for the VBE process variation.

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