SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20140117212A1
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: IMAI, Hitoshi, Tanaka, Hirotatsu
• Granted Patent: US 9,270,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/208.2
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/082 with FET's H03F3/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/087 with IC amplifier blocks H03F3/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00997 Light control, e.g. shielding from ambient light or preventing light leakage
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/02497 Additional elements, e.g. sheet guide plates, light shields H04N2201/02489 - H04N2201/02495 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/03166 Additional light shielding member

Abstract

A semiconductor device that includes: a first trans-impedance amplifier that converts a first current signal generated by a first photodiode, into which an optical signal is input, into a first voltage signal; a second trans-impedance amplifier that converts a second current signal generated by a second photodiode, to which an optical signal is blocked, into a second voltage signal; a peak hold circuit that holds the peak value of the first voltage signal; a comparator that outputs a pulse on the basis of the first and second voltage signals; and a threshold current setting circuit that draws out a threshold current, which is proportional to a reference current generated on the basis of a voltage difference between a peak voltage output by the peak hold circuit and a reference voltage at the output node of the second photodiode, from the connection between the second photodiode and the second trans-impedance amplifier.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first trans-impedance amplifier that converts a first current signal generated by a first photodiode, into which an optical signal is input, into a first voltage signal;

a second trans-impedance amplifier that converts a second current signal generated by a second photodiode, to which an optical signal is blocked, into a second voltage signal;

a peak hold circuit that holds the peak value of the first voltage signal;

a comparator that outputs a pulse on the basis of the first and second voltage signals; and

a threshold current setting circuit that draws out a threshold current, which is proportional to a reference current generated on the basis of a voltage difference between a peak voltage output by the peak hold circuit and a reference voltage at the output node of the second photodiode, from the connection between the second photodiode and the second trans-impedance amplifier.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the threshold current setting circuit includes:

a first resistor an end of which is coupled to the output node of the peak hold circuit;

a buffer that receives a voltage at the other end of the resistor and the reference voltage; and

a current mirror circuit the control terminal of which is coupled to the output node of the buffer,

wherein the threshold current is the reference current that flows through the first resistor and that is reflexed at the current mirror circuit.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the threshold current is generated so that the ration of the amplitude of the second voltage signal to the amplitude of the first voltage signal is a predefined ratio.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the predefined ratio is determined on the basis of the current mirror ratio of the current mirror circuit, the value of the first resistor, and the value of the second resistor included in the second trans-impedance amplifier.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the predefined ratio is a value that is predetermined on the basis of the rising time and falling time of the first voltage signal.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 2,

wherein the current mirror circuit includes:

a first-conductivity type first MOS transistor the drain of which is coupled to the other end of the first resistor and the gate of which is coupled to the output node of the buffer; and

a first-conductivity type second MOS transistor the drain of which is coupled to the coupling node of the second photodiode and the second trans-impedance amplifier and the gate of which is coupled to the output node of the buffer.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 2,

wherein the threshold current setting circuit including a plurality of current mirror circuits, selects a current mirror circuit used for generating the threshold current from among the current mirror circuits on the basis of the level of a pulse output by the comparator.