Temperature-correction network for extrapolated band-gap voltage reference circuit

• US 4,325,017 A
• Filed: 08/14/1980
• Issued: 04/13/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intersil Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: RCA Corporation
• Inventors: Schade, Otto H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beha, Jr., William H.
• Application Number:
  US06/177,913
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 323/312-316, 323/907, 307/296, 307/297
• US Class Current: 323/313
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/225 producing a current or voltage as a predetermined function of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/30 Regulators using the difference between the base-emitter voltages of two bipolar transistors operating at different current densities G05F3/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/907 Temperature compensation of semiconductor

Abstract

A circuit for generating temperature dependent current for compensating an electrical circuit comprises a resistor and a semiconductor junction having different temperature coefficients. A current applied to the semiconductor junction conditions it for conduction and related potentials are maintained across the resistor and the semiconductor junction. Means receiving a portion of the current in one of the resistor and semiconductor junction develops the temperature dependent current in response to the portion. The temperature dependent current is applied to the electrical circuit to effect the desired compensation. One embodiment of the present invention includes a band-gap reference potential generating circuit in which a semiconductor junction thereof receives the temperature dependent current. Other embodiments of the present invention are employed to develop currents that are dependent upon a temperature function raised to a power.

Claims

1. A circuit for generating temperature dependent current for reducing the temperature dependence of a temperature dependent signal in an electrical circuit comprising:

resistance means having first and second ends for providing a resistance therebetween that exhibits a temperature coefficient;

semiconductor junction means having first and second ends for exhibiting a conduction potential responsive to current flow therethrough, which conduction potential exhibits a temperature coefficient of different value than that of said resistance;

means for maintaining related potentials across said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means;

current supplying means for supplying current to said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means so that the respective current through each is substantially equal to the difference between said supply current and the current in the other of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means, whereby the current in each varies at a different rate with temperature;

means connected to one of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means for receiving a substantial portion of the current therethrough and for developing said temperature dependent current in response to said substantial portion of the current; and

means for applying said temperature dependent current to said electrical circuit to effect said reduction.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining related potentials includes a direct coupled connection of the respective first ends of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means, and

further resistance means connected between the respective second ends of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means.

3. The circuit of claim 2 wherein said further resistance means connects in parallel with a further semiconductor junction means included within said electrical circuit.

4. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining related potentials includes

a direct coupled connection of the respective first ends of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means, and

current mirror amplifying means having an input connection for receiving the current flow in said resistor, having an output connection connected to the second end of said semiconductor junction means, and having a common connection.

5. The circuit of claim 4 wherein the output and common connections of said current mirror amplifying means connect to first and second ends, respectively, of further semiconductor junction means included within said electrical circuit.

6. The circuit of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 further including a transistor having input, output and common electrodes, the input and common electrodes of which respectively connect to the first and second ends of said semiconductor junction means, the output electrode of which receives an operating potential, said transistor being of a type that is conditioned for conduction responsive to the conduction potential of said semiconductor junction means to augment the portion of the current flow in said one of said resistor and said semiconductor junction means.

7. In a potential generating circuit of the type wherein a pair of bipolar transistors is conditioned to operate at different emitter current densities, and the difference between their respective base-emitter junction potentials is scaled up and combined with the forward conduction potential of a reference semiconductor junction to develop a reference potential tending to have a maximum value to a predetermined temperature and lesser values at temperatures removed therefrom, the improvement comprising:

resistance means having first and second ends for providing a resistance that exhibits a temperature coefficient;

semiconductor junction means having first and second electrodes, the first electrode connected to the first end of said resistance means, for exhibiting a conduction potential having a temperature coefficient of value different than that of said resistance;

means connected to the second end of said resistance means and to the second electrode of said semiconductor junction means for maintaining the potential therebetween in predetermined relationship;

means for supplying current to the first end of said resistance means and the first electrode of said semiconductor junction means so that the respective current through each is substantially equal to the difference between said supplied current and the current in the other of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means, whereby the current in each varies at a different rate with temperature; and

means having an input connection connected to one of the second end of said resistance means and the second electrode of said semiconductor junction means for receiving a substantial portion of the current flow therethrough, and having an output connection for applying a current responsive to said portion of the current flow to said potential generating circuit to make the lesser value of said reference potential more closely approach the maximum value thereof.

8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein said means for receiving a substantial portion of the current flow includes current mirror amplifying means having an input connection connected for receiving said substantial portion of the current, having an output connection for supplying the current responsive to said portion, and having a common connection.

9. The improvement of claim 8 wherein the input connection of said current mirror amplifying means connects to the second electrode of said semiconductor junction means, and the common connection thereof connects to the second end of said resistance means.

10. The improvement of claim 9 wherein said means for maintaining the potential includes further resistance means connected between the second end of said resistance means and the second electrode of said semiconductor junction means.

11. The improvement of claim 8 wherein the input connection of said current mirror amplifying means connects to the second end of said resistance means, and the output connection thereof connects to the second electrode of said semiconductor junction means.

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said means for maintaining the potential includes said reference semiconductor junction being connected between the output and common connections of said current mirror amplifying means.

13. The improvement of claim 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 further including a transistor having input and common electrodes respectively connected to the first and second electrodes of said semiconductor junction means, having an output electrode connected to receive an operating potential, said transistor being of a type that is conditioned for conduction responsive to the conduction potential of said semiconductor junction means to augment the current flow in said reference semiconductor junction.

14. In a potential generating circuit of the type wherein a pair of bipolar transistors are conditioned to operate at different emitter current densities, and the difference between their respective base-emitter junction potentials is scaled up and combined with the forward conduction potential of a reference semiconductor junction to develop a reference potential tending to have a maximum value at a predetermined temperature and lesser values at temperatures removed therefrom, the improvement comprising:

means for applying a temperature dependent current to said reference semiconductor function, which current includes a component that is dependent upon a function of temperature raised to a power greater than unity, including;

resistance means having first and second ends for providing a resistance that exhibits a temperature coefficient;

semiconductor junction means having first and second ends for exhibiting a conduction potential responsive to current flow therethrough, which conduction potential exhibits a temperature coefficient of different value than that of said resistance;

means for maintaining related potentials across said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means;

current supplying means for supplying current to said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means so that the respective current through each is substantially equal to the difference between said supply current and the current in the other of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means, whereby the current in each varies at a different rate with temperature;

means connected to one of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means for receiving a portion of the current therethrough and for developing said temperature dependent current in response to said portion of the current; and

wherein

said means for applying applies said temperature dependent current to said reference semiconductor junction to make the lesser value of said reference potential more closely approach the maximum value thereof.

15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said

means for maintaining related potentials includes a direct coupled connection of the respective first ends of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means, and

further resistance means connected between the respective second ends of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means.

16. The improvement of claim 15 wherein said further resistance means connects in parallel with said reference semiconductor junction.

17. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said means for maintaining related potentials includes

a direct coupled connection of the respective first ends of said resistance means and said semiconductor junction means, and

current mirror amplifying means having an input connection for receiving the current flow in said resistance means, having an output connection connected to the second end of said semiconductor junction means, and having a common connection.

18. The improvement of claim 17 wherein said reference semiconductor junction connects between the output and common connections of said current mirror amplifying means.

19. The improvement of claim 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18 further including a transistor having input, output and common electrodes, the input and common electrodes of which respectively connect to the first and second ends of said semiconductor junction means, the output electrode of which receives an operating potential, said transistor being of a type that is conditioned for conduction responsive to the conduction potential of said semiconductor junction means to augment the current flow in said reference semiconductor junction.

20. In a reference potential generating circuit of the type wherein first and second bipolar transistors of like conductivity type having their base electrodes interconnected are conditioned to operate at different emitter current densities, the difference between their respective base-emitter junction potentials being impressed across a first resistor connected between their respective emitter electrodes, and a second resistor connects at its first end to the emitter electrode of said first transistor for conducting the sum of the emitter currents of said first and second transistors, a reference potential being developed between the base electrode interconnection of said first and second transistors and the second end of said second resistor, the improvement comprising:

first and second output terminals;

semiconductor junction means having a first electrode connecting to the second end of said second resistor, poled for conduction to receive the current therethrough, and having a second electrode connected to said first output terminal;

means included within said second resistor for providing a potential intermediate to those at its first and second ends;

a third bipolar transistor having a base electrode connected to the base electrode of said second transistor, having a collector electrode connected to receive an operating potential, and having an emitter electrode connected to said second output terminal; and

a fourth bipolar transistor having a base electrode connected to receive said intermediate potential, having a collector electrode connected to said second output terminal, and having an emitter electrode connected to said first output terminal.

21. The improvement of claim 20 wherein said semiconductor junction means comprises a fifth bipolar transistor having base and collector electrodes connected together to serve as one of the first and second electrodes of said semiconductor junction means, and having a collector electrode connected to serve as the other of the first and second electrodes thereof.