Low-leakage switch for sample and hold

1. An apparatus comprising:

a sampling capacitor for an input voltage at an input node;

a first switch coupled between the input node and the sampling capacitor for connecting the input node to the sampling capacitor;

a voltage follower an input coupled to the sampling capacitor, the first switch including a first MOS transistor coupled between the input node and the sampling capacitor, wherein the first MOS transistor has a bulk and the apparatus is adapted to selectively couple the bulk to a node having a voltage level which is equal or close to the voltage level at the input node of the voltage follower; and

a second switch and a third switch coupled to the bulk of the first MOS transistor, so as to control the voltage level of the bulk to have first voltage level during a hold phase and a to a second voltage level during a sample phase of the sample and hold stage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the voltage follower is an operational amplifier coupled to operate as a voltage follower with a positive input of the operational amplifier serving as the input of the voltage follower, the integrated electronic circuit further comprising a fourth switch and a fifth switch, the fifth switch being coupled between the input node and an input of the first switch thereby providing an intermediate input node between the first switch and the fifth switch, wherein the fourth switch is arranged such that the fourth switch connects a node with the intermediate input node in a closed state, the node having a voltage level that corresponds to the voltage level at a negative input node of the operational amplifier.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control stage which is adapted to control the switching of the second switch such that second switch is only closed when the voltage follower has settled.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a comparator with a built-in offset for detecting a minimum voltage difference between the positive input and the negative input of the operational amplifier.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a low pass filter coupled to the bulk of the first MOS transistor for smoothing the voltage level at the bulk.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a sampling capacitor for an input voltage at an input node;

a first switch coupled between the input node and the sampling capacitor for connecting the input node to the sampling capacitor;

a voltage follower an input coupled to the sampling capacitor, the first switch including a first MOS transistor coupled between the input node and the sampling capacitor, wherein the first MOS transistor has a bulk and the apparatus is adapted to selectively couple the bulk to a node having a voltage level which is equal or close to the voltage level at the input node of the voltage follower, and wherein the voltage follower includes an operational amplifier coupled to operate as a voltage follower with a positive input of the operational amplifier serving as the input of the voltage follower;

a fourth switch; and

a fifth switch, wherein the fifth switch is coupled between the input node and an input of the first switch thereby providing an intermediate input node between the first switch and the fifth switch, and wherein the fourth switch is arranged such that the fourth switch connects a node with the intermediate input node in a closed state, and wherein the node having a voltage level that corresponds to the voltage level at a negative input node of the operational amplifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a control stage which is adapted to control the switching of the second switch such that second switch is only closed when the voltage follower has settled.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a comparator with a built-in offset for detecting a minimum voltage difference between the positive input and the negative input of the operational amplifier.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a low pass filter coupled to the bulk of the first MOS transistor for smoothing the voltage level at the bulk.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a sampling capacitor for an input voltage at an input node;

a first switch coupled between the input node and the sampling capacitor for connecting the input node to the sampling capacitor;

a voltage follower an input coupled to the sampling capacitor, the first switch-including a first MOS transistor coupled between the input node and the sampling capacitor, wherein the first MOS transistor has a bulk and the apparatus is adapted to selectively couple the bulk to a node having a voltage level which is equal or close to the voltage level at the input node of the voltage follower; and

a low pass filter coupled to the bulk of the first MOS transistor for smoothing the voltage level at the bulk.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a first switch that receives an input signal;

a MOS transistor that is coupled to the first switch at its drain;

a second switch that is coupled to the bulk of the MOS transistor;

a sampling capacitor that is coupled to the source of the MOS transistor;

an amplifier having a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal of the amplifier is coupled to the sampling capacitor and wherein the second input terminal of the amplifier is coupled to the second switch.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a voltage divider that is coupled to the output terminal of the amplifier and the second input terminal of the amplifier.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a third switch that is coupled to the bulk of the MOS transistor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a low pass filter that is coupled between the bulk of the MOS transistor and the second switch.