SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING A CONSTANT VOLTAGE GENERATION UNIT

• US 20150227158A1
• Filed: 04/22/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: SAKO, Kazutoshi, MATSUZAKI, Tomokazu
• Granted Patent: US 9,746,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/561 Voltage to current converters amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/10 using uncontrolled devices with non-linear characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/20 using diode- transistor combinations G05F3/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/245 producing a voltage or current as a predetermined function of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/262 using field-effect transistors only
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0231 Astable circuits H03K3/0315 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/022 by indirect stabilisation, i.e. by generating an electrical correction signal which is a function of the temperature H03L1/021 takes precedence

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes: a voltage generation unit that generates a first voltage having a first temperature characteristic; a constant voltage generation unit that generates a constant voltage; and an adjustment unit that generates a second voltage having a second temperature characteristic and a third voltage having a third temperature characteristic using the first voltage and the constant voltage. The constant voltage generation unit generates the constant voltage independently of the adjustment unit. One of the second and third temperature characteristics is an opposite characteristic to the first temperature characteristic. The device can also include a control unit that selects one of the second and third voltages in response to a predetermined setting value.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a voltage generation unit that generates a first voltage having a first temperature characteristic;

a constant voltage generation unit that generates a constant voltage; and

an adjustment unit that generates a second voltage having a second temperature characteristic and a third voltage having a third temperature characteristic using the first voltage and the constant voltage,

wherein the constant voltage generation unit generates the constant voltage independently of the adjustment unit, and

wherein one of the second and third temperature characteristics is an opposite characteristic to the first temperature characteristic.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that selects one of the second and third voltages in response to a predetermined setting value.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first temperature characteristic is a negative temperature characteristic.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage generation unit is a diode.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the adjustment unit includes a first node, a second node to receive a voltage corresponding to the constant voltage, a first variable resistor disposed between the first node and the second node and a second variable resistor disposed between the second node and the voltage generation unit,

wherein the second voltage is a voltage generated at the first variable resistor and the third voltage is a voltage generated at the second variable resistor.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein each of the first and second variable registers comprises a plurality of resistors and a plurality of taps.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the adjustment unit further includes a transistor disposed between the first node and a power supply voltage and an amplifier having input ports to receive the constant voltage and a voltage at the second node and having an output port coupled to a gate of the transistor.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the constant voltage has a lower temperature characteristic than the first temperature characteristic.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a current generation unit that generates a temperature compensated current based on one of the second and third voltages.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, further comprising a control unit,

wherein the current generation unit has a fourth temperature characteristic, and

wherein the control unit selects the second voltage when the second temperature characteristic is an opposite characteristic to the fourth temperature characteristic and selects the third voltage when the third temperature characteristic is an opposite characteristic to the fourth temperature characteristic.