Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for tunneling leakage current compensation

US6744303B1 · kind B1 · utility

5Cited by
3References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 21, 2003
Grant dateJun 1, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 21, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05F1/46
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for compensating for tunneling leakage current through a first capacitor includes: an operational amplifier, connected in a negative feedback configuration; a first compensation transistor; a second compensation transistor; and a compensation capacitor. The compensation capacitor is chosen so that the ratio of the area of the compensation capacitor divided by the area of the first capacitor is an area ratio “AR”. The operational amplifier sets the gate voltage of the compensation capacitor to be the same as the gate voltage of the first capacitor. The ratio of the size of the second compensation transistor divided by the size of the second compensation transistor is also the area ration “AR”. Consequently, the first compensation transistor and the second compensation transistor drain current out of the compensation capacitor and first capacitor, respectively, approximately equal to the amount tunneling leakage current through the compensation capacitor and first capacitor, respectively.

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