Floating-gate reference circuit

US7034603B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Georgia Tech Research Corporation · US

Inventors

• Philomena Cleopha Brady · Corinth, US
• Haw-Jing Lo · San Diego, US
• Guillermo Serrano · Atlanta, US
• Farhan Adil · Cumberland, US
• Matthew Raymond Kucic · Austell, US
• Paul Hasler · Atlanta, US
• David V. Anderson · Alpharetta, US
• Angelo William Pereira · Plano, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 27, 2003
• Grant date: Apr 25, 2006
• Expiry date: May 27, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H03M3/454
• WIPO field: Basic communication processes
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods are discussed for using a floating-gate MOSFET as a programmable reference circuit. One example of the programmable reference circuit is a programmable voltage reference source, while a second example of a programmable reference circuit is a programmable reference current source. The programmable voltage reference source and/or the reference current source may be incorporated into several types of circuits, such as comparator circuits, current-mirror circuits, and converter circuits. Comparator circuits and current-mirror circuits are often incorporated into circuits such as converter circuits. Converter circuits include analog-to-digital converters and digital-to-analog converters.