Patent · US Expired

Temperature dependent regulation of threshold voltage

US6917237B1 · kind B1 · utility

134Cited by
1References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 2, 2004
Grant dateJul 12, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 2, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05F3/205
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Embodiments circuits provide a transistor body bias voltage so that the ratio of ION to IOFF is constant over a range of temperature, where ION is a transistor current when ON and IOFF is a (leakage) transistor current when OFF. In one embodiment, a nFET is biased to provide ION to a current mirror that sources a current AION to a node, a nFET is biased to provide IOFF to a current mirror that sinks a current BIOFF from the node, and an amplifier provides feedback from the node to the body terminals of the nFETs so that at steady state AION=BIOFF, where A and B are constants independent over a range of temperature. In this way, the ratio ION/IOFF is maintained at B/A for some range of temperatures. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

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