IP Library Granted Patent US 9,710,010
Granted Patent B2
US 9,710,010 · App. 15/207,231 · Granted Jul 18, 2017

Start-up circuit for bandgap reference

Inventors: Chun-Ju Shen (Sunnyvale, CA); Mao-Ter Chen (San Jose, CA); Jenn-Gang Chern (Redwood City, CA)
Assignee: SK Hynix Memory Solutions Inc.
G05F3/267
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,710,010
App. No.
15/207,231
Granted
Jul 18, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A start-up circuit for a bandgap reference circuit include an operational amplifier and a diode coupled to a second input terminal of the operational amplifier. The circuit includes a first current branch including a first transistor and a second transistor in series, for generating a first current in response to an output voltage at an output terminal of the operational amplifier and a second current branch including a third transistor and a fourth transistor in series, for generating a second current in response to the output voltage. The circuit further includes a resistor coupled in parallel to the fourth transistor, an inverter coupled to a connection node between the third and fourth transistors, for inverting a voltage at the connection node and generating an inversion voltage, and a fifth transistor for controlling a switching element flowing a reference current proportional to the voltage with the negative temperature coefficient in response to the inversion voltage.

Claims (25)

1. A reference voltage generation device comprising:

a bandgap reference circuit having a first branch including a first transistor, a first resistor and a first diode in series, suitable for generating a first current, a second branch including a second transistor and a second diode in series, suitable for generating a second current, and an output circuit suitable for generating a bandgap voltage based on the sum of the first and second currents; and

a start-up circuit suitable for starting-up the bandgap reference circuit,

wherein the start-up circuit includes:

a replica diode for the second diode;

an operational amplifier including a first input terminal coupled to the second diode, a second input terminal coupled to the replica diode, and an output terminal;

a first current branch including a third transistor and a fourth transistor in series between a power supply terminal and a ground terminal, suitable for generating a first current in response to an output voltage at the output terminal of the operational amplifier;

a second current branch including a fifth transistor and a sixth transistor in series between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal, suitable for generating a second current in response to the output voltage at the output terminal of the operational amplifier;

a second resistor coupled in parallel to the sixth transistor;

an inverter coupled to a connection node between the fifth transistor and the sixth transistor, suitable for inverting a voltage at the connection node and generating an inversion voltage; and

a seventh transistor suitable for controlling the second transistor in response to the inversion voltage.

2. The reference voltage generation device of claim 1 , further comprising: a pull-up device suitable for pulling up the output voltage towards a power supply voltage.

3. The reference voltage generation device of claim 2 , wherein the pull-up device includes at least one pull-up resistor coupled between the power supply terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier.

4. The reference voltage generation device of claim 2 , wherein the pull-up device includes at least one current source coupled between the power supply terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier.

5. The reference voltage generation device of claim 1 , further comprising: a capacitor coupled between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal.

6. The reference voltage generation device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a bias generator suitable for generating a bias voltage and providing the fourth and sixth transistors with the bias voltage.

7. The reference voltage generation device of claim 6 , wherein the bias generator includes:

a third resistor; and

a diode-connected transistor in series between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal, the diode-connected transistor suitable for generating the bias voltage.

8. The reference voltage generation device of claim 1 , wherein the inverter includes a skew inverter coupled between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal, suitable for receiving a voltage at the connection node, inverting the voltage at the connection node and generating the inversion voltage to the seventh transistor.

9. The reference voltage generation device of claim 8 , wherein the inverter includes:

an eighth transistor including a first terminal coupled to the power supply terminal, a second terminal for receiving the voltage at the connection node, and a third terminal coupled to the seventh transistor, for generating the inversion voltage; and

a ninth transistor including a first terminal coupled to the seventh transistor, for generating the inversion voltage, a second terminal for receiving the voltage at the connection node, and a third terminal coupled to the ground terminal.

10. The reference voltage generation device of claim 8 , wherein the inverter further includes a diode-connected transistor coupled between the power supply terminal and the skew inverter.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 15, 2017
From: SK HYNIX MEMORY SOLUTIONS INC.
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 044899/0443 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2016
From: SHEN, CHUN-JU; CHEN, MAO-TER; CHERN, JENN-GANG
To: SK HYNIX MEMORY SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 039126/0357 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62191235 · Jul 10, 2015
Related Publication 20170012609A1 · Jan 12, 2017