CAPACITIVE VOLTAGE DIVIDER

• US 20120306676A1
• Filed: 05/03/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Neubauer, Harald, Balasubramaniam, Harish
• Granted Patent: US 8,957,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/144
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/0678 using additional components or elements, e.g. dummy components
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/0682 using a differential network structure, i.e. symmetrical with respect to ground
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/46 with digital/analogue converter for supplying reference values to converter
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/78 using ladder network

Abstract

A capacitive voltage divider arrangement comprising a first and second voltage divider, a first and second parasitic capacitance being formed between the first and second capacitive voltage divider. The first capacitive voltage divider comprises a signal terminal; a first capacitance for coupling the terminal to a reference potential; a second capacitance; a third capacitance that may be coupled to the reference potential, the second capacitance being coupled in between the terminal and third capacitance. The second capacitive voltage divider comprises a first compensation capacitance for coupling the terminal to the reference potential, the first compensation capacitance further coupled to the terminal via the first parasitic capacitance; a second compensation capacitance; a third compensation capacitance that may be coupled to the reference potential, the second compensation capacitance coupled in between the terminal and third compensation capacitance, and the second parasitic capacitance coupling the third capacitance to the third compensation capacitance.

Claims

1. A capacitive voltage divider arrangement comprising a first voltage divider and a second voltage divider, a first parasitic capacitance and a second parasitic capacitance being formed between the first capacitive voltage divider and the second capacitive voltage divider,

the first capacitive voltage divider comprising:

a terminal for a signal;

a first capacitance, via which the terminal may be coupled to a reference potential;

a second capacitance; and

a third capacitance that may be coupled to the reference potential, the second capacitance being coupled in between the terminal and the third capacitance; and

the second capacitive voltage divider comprising;

a first compensation capacitance, via which the terminal may be coupled to the reference potential, the first compensation capacitance further being coupled to the terminal via the first parasitic capacitance;

a second compensation capacitance; and

a third compensation capacitance that may be coupled to the reference potential, the second compensation capacitance being coupled in between the terminal and the third compensation capacitance, and the second parasitic capacitance coupling the third capacitance, at a terminal coupled to the second capacitance, to the third compensation capacitance, at a terminal coupled to the second compensation capacitance.

2. The capacitive voltage divider arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first capacitance, the second capacitance, the third capacitance, the first parasitic capacitance, the second parasitic capacitance, the first compensation capacitance, the second compensation capacitance, and the third compensation capacitance are implemented on a substrate.

3. The capacitive voltage divider arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the substrate comprises a first layer wherein the first capacitance, the second capacitance, and the third capacitance are implemented, and the substrate comprises a second layer wherein the first compensation capacitance, the second compensation capacitance, and the third compensation capacitance are implemented, the first parasitic capacitance and the second parasitic capacitance forming between the first and second layers.

4. The capacitive voltage divider arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third parasitic capacitance, via which the terminal may be coupled to the reference potential, and the capacitive voltage divider arrangement further comprising a fourth parasitic capacitance, via which the third compensation capacitance, at the terminal coupled to the second compensation capacitance, may be coupled to the reference potential.

5. The capacitive voltage divider arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the third parasitic capacitance and the fourth parasitic capacitance differ by less than 10%, 1%, or 0.1% in terms of their capacitances.

6. The capacitive voltage divider arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first capacitance and the second capacitance differ by less than 10%, 1%, or 0.1% in terms of their capacitances, and/or wherein the first compensation capacitance and the second compensation capacitance differ by less than 10%, 1%, or 0.1% in terms of their capacitances, and/or wherein half of the second capacitance and the third capacitance differ by less than 10%, 1%, or 0.1% in terms of their capacitances, and/or wherein half of the second compensation capacitance and the third compensation capacitance differ by less than 10%, 1%, or 0.1% in terms of their capacitances.

7. The capacitive voltage divider arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first parasitic capacitance and the second parasitic capacitance differ by less than 10%, 1%, or 0.1% in terms of their capacitances, and/or wherein the third parasitic capacitance and the fourth parasitic capacitance differ by less than 10%, 1%, or 0.1% in terms of their capacitances.

8. The capacitive voltage divider arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first voltage divider comprises a capacitive cascade connection comprising a plurality of capacitances, and wherein the second voltage divider comprises a capacitive cascade connection comprising a plurality of capacitances.

9. An analog-to-digital converter comprising a capacitive voltage divider arrangement, the capacitive voltage divider arrangement comprising a first voltage divider and a second voltage divider, a first parasitic capacitance and a second parasitic capacitance being formed between the first capacitive voltage divider and the second capacitive voltage divider,

the first capacitive voltage divider comprising:

a terminal for a signal;

a first capacitance, via which the terminal may be coupled to a reference potential;

a second capacitance; and

a third capacitance that may be coupled to the reference potential, the second capacitance being coupled in between the terminal and the third capacitance; and

the second capacitive voltage divider comprising;

a first compensation capacitance, via which the terminal may be coupled to the reference potential, the first compensation capacitance further being coupled to the terminal via the first parasitic capacitance;

a second compensation capacitance; and

a third compensation capacitance that may be coupled to the reference potential, the second compensation capacitance being coupled in between the terminal and the third compensation capacitance, and the second parasitic capacitance coupling the third capacitance, at a terminal coupled to the second capacitance, to the third compensation capacitance, at a terminal coupled to the second compensation capacitance.

10. The analog-to-digital converter as claimed in claim 9, configured to be operated in a successive-approximation method.

11. The analog-to-digital converter as claimed in claim 9, implemented in CMOS 2-poly 4-metal technology (CMOS=complementary metal oxide semiconductor).

12. A digital-to-analog converter comprising an analog-to-digital converter, the analog-to-digital converter comprising a capacitive voltage divider arrangement, the capacitive voltage divider arrangement comprising a first voltage divider and a second voltage divider, a first parasitic capacitance and a second parasitic capacitance being formed between the first capacitive voltage divider and the second capacitive voltage divider,

the first capacitive voltage divider comprising:

a terminal for a signal;

a first capacitance, via which the terminal may be coupled to a reference potential;

a second capacitance; and

a third capacitance that may be coupled to the reference potential, the second capacitance being coupled in between the terminal and the third capacitance; and

the second capacitive voltage divider comprising;

a first compensation capacitance, via which the terminal may be coupled to the reference potential, the first compensation capacitance further being coupled to the terminal via the first parasitic capacitance;

a second compensation capacitance; and

a third compensation capacitance that may be coupled to the reference potential, the second compensation capacitance being coupled in between the terminal and the third compensation capacitance, and the second parasitic capacitance coupling the third capacitance, at a terminal coupled to the second capacitance, to the third compensation capacitance, at a terminal coupled to the second compensation capacitance,

further comprising a first switch matrix, a second switch matrix, an SAR control logic (SAR=successive-approximation register), a sample-and-hold element, and a comparator.