Granted Patent B2

US 7,339,415 · App. 11/009,538 · Granted Mar 4, 2008

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A linear SC circuit arrangement using integrated deep submicron technology, the circuit arrangement comprising:

at least one switched capacitor circuit including an input, an output, at least one switchable capacitor and at least one first transistor, wherein the input is operable to receive an input signal;

a control circuit operable to actuate the at least one first transistor; and

an output stage connected to the output of the at least one switched capacitor circuit, the output stage comprising at least one second transistor;

wherein the at least one first transistor is at least one thick oxide transistor and the at least one first transistor has a higher withstand voltage than the at least one second transistor;

the at least one first transistor comprises a plurality of first transistors; and

the plurality of first transistors comprises at least one transistor arranged between the input of the at least one switched capacitor circuit and a first electrode of the at least one switchable capacitor, wherein the plurality of first transistors further comprise at least one additional transistor arranged between a second electrode of the switchable capacitor and the output of the at least one switched capacitor circuit, and wherein the at least one transistor and the at least one additional transistor are each operable to be actuated by a clock signal clocked in antiphase.

2. The circuit arrangement of claim 1 wherein the at least one first transistor comprises at least one first gate dielectric and the at least one second transistor comprises at least one second gate dielectric, wherein the thickness of the at least one first gate dielectric is at least 1.5 times greater than the thickness of the at least one second gate dielectric.

3. The circuit arrangement of claim 2 wherein the thickness of the at least one first gate dielectric is at least twice the thickness of the at least one second gate dielectric.

4. The circuit arrangement of claim 1 wherein the control circuit comprises a clock generator, the clock generator operable to output at least one clock signal, and the at least one clock signal operable to actuate the at least one first transistor.

5. The circuit arrangement of claim 4 wherein the at least one first transistor comprises a plurality of first transistors, and wherein a first set of the plurality of first transistors are actuated by the clock signal and a second set of the plurality of first transistors are actuated by a signal in antiphase with the clock signal.

6. The circuit arrangement of claim 1 wherein the plurality of first transistors have a withstand voltage that is substantially the same as a third transistor provided in an I/O interface on the circuit arrangement.

7. The circuit arrangement of claim 1 wherein the the at least one transistor having a first withstand voltage, and wherein the at least one additional transistor has have a lower withstand voltage than the first withstand voltage, and wherein the at least one additional transistor has the same withstand voltage as the at least one second transistor.

8. The circuit arrangement of claim 7 wherein the control circuit is operable to produce a first control signal, the first control signal a low signal level operable to actuate the remaining plurality of first transistors, and wherein the control circuit comprises a charge pump operable to convert the first control signal into a second control signal which has a higher signal level than the first control signal.

9. The circuit arrangement of claim 1 wherein the switched capacitor circuit comprises a switched capacitor filter.

10. The circuit arrangement of claim 1 wherein the at least one first transistor is a CMOS transistor.

11. The circuit arrangement of claim 1 wherein a dimensional measurement of the at least one second transistor is less than 0.25 μm.

12. A linear switched capacitor circuit arrangement using integrated deep submicron technology, the circuit arrangement comprising:

at least one switched capacitor circuit including at least one switchable capacitor and a plurality of first transistors, the plurality of first transistors comprising at least one thick oxide transistor;

an output stage connected to the switched capacitor circuit, the output stage comprising at least one second transistor, wherein the at least one thick oxide transistor has a higher withstand voltage than the at least one second transistor;

a control circuit operable to output at least one control signal to the at least one switched capacitor circuit, wherein the at least one control signal is operable to actuate the at least one thick oxide transistor, wherein a first supply potential and a second supply potential connected to the control circuit in order to produce the at least one control signal;

wherein the first supply potential and a third supply potential are connected to the output stage; and

wherein the at least one control signal is a clock signal, and the plurality of first transistors comprise a first set of transistors and a second set of transistors, wherein the first set of transistors are actuated by the clock signal and the second set of transistors are actuated by the clock signal in antiphase.

13. The circuit arrangement of claim 12 wherein the second supply potential is greater than the third supply potential.

14. The circuit arrangement of claim 12 wherein the second supply potential is equal to the third supply potential and further comprising a charge pump connected between the control circuit and the at least one switched capacitor circuit, the charge pump operable to increase the amplitude of the at least one control signal based on a fourth supply potential connected to the charge pump.

15. The circuit arrangement of claim 12 wherein the third supply potential is lower than two volts.

16. A linear SC circuit arrangement using integrated deep submicron technology, the circuit arrangement comprising:

at least one switched capacitor circuit including an input, an output, at least one switchable capacitor and at least one first transistor, wherein the input is operable to receive an input signal;

a control circuit operable to actuate the at least one first transistor; and

an output stage connected to the output of the at least one switched capacitor circuit, the output stage comprising at least one second transistor;

wherein the at least one first transistor is at least one thick oxide transistor and the at least one first transistor has a higher withstand voltage than the at least one second transistor; and

the at least one first transistor is arranged between the input of the at least one switched capacitor circuit and a first electrode of the at least one switchable capacitor, wherein the at least one switched capacitor circuit further comprises at least one additional transistor arranged between a second electrode of the switchable capacitor and the output of the at least one switched capacitor circuit, and wherein the at least one first transistor and the at least one additional transistor are each operable to be actuated by a clock signal clocked in antiphase.

17. A linear SC circuit arrangement using integrated deep submicron technology, the circuit arrangement comprising:

at least one switched capacitor circuit including an input, an output, at least one switchable capacitor and a first and second transistor, wherein the input is operable to receive an input signal;

a control circuit operable to actuate the first and second transistors; and

an output stage connected to the output of the at least one switched capacitor circuit, the output stage comprising at least a third transistor;

wherein the first transistor comprises at least one thick oxide transistor having a higher withstand voltage than the second and third transistors.

Assignments (9)