Patent · US Expired

Back-bias voltage regulator having temperature and process variation compensation and related method of regulating a back-bias voltage

US7119604B2 · kind B2 · utility

29Cited by
7References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 17, 2004
Grant dateOct 10, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 13, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K2217/0018
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a back-bias voltage regulator circuit for regulating a back-bias voltage used to control leakage current in at least one transistor within a primary circuit. In one embodiment, the back-bias voltage regulator circuit includes a voltage divider circuit configured to receive a back-bias voltage from a charge pump, and to generate a divided voltage signal by dividing the back-bias voltage based on a ratio of resistances of resistive elements within the voltage divider. In addition, the regulator circuit includes an output circuit configured to receive the back-bias voltage from the charge pump and having an output node for outputting the back-bias voltage, as well as a reference voltage circuit configured to generate a reference voltage signal based on a threshold voltage of the at least one transistor in the primary circuit. Also in such an embodiment, the regulator circuit includes a comparison circuit configured to compare the divided voltage signal to the reference voltage signal and to operate the output circuit to regulate the back-bias voltage level based on the comparison. Also disclosed is a related method of regulating a back-bias voltage to control leaka…

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