Temperature compensated semiconductor integrated circuit
First Claim
1. A temperature compensation circuit for increasing the inherent negative temperature coefficient associated with a bipolar junction transistor (30), said compensation circuit comprisinga first resistor (38) connected to the base of said bipolar junction transistor;
- a second resistor (34) connected between said first resistor and the emitter of said bipolar junction transistor;
a third resistor (36) connected between said second resistor and a predetermined reference potential; and
a current source (41) connected to the base of said bipolar junction transistor for providing a voltage across said first resistor which increases the normalized negative temperature coefficient of the voltage at the junction of said second and third resistors to a value above that of the base to emitter voltage of said bipolar junction transistor.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a circuit capable of providing a negative temperature coefficient greater than that provided by discrete silicon integrated circuit components. A constant current source and a resistor divider network are added to a bipolar junction transistor, where the resistors and the constant current source function to increase the negative temperature coefficient of a bipolar junction transistor. The negative temperature compensation circuit formed in accordance with the present invention provides a sufficient negative temperature coefficient to offset the large positive temperature coefficient associated with high voltage avalanche breakdown diodes without requiring a high voltage integrated circuit.
24 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A temperature compensation circuit for increasing the inherent negative temperature coefficient associated with a bipolar junction transistor (30), said compensation circuit comprising
a first resistor (38) connected to the base of said bipolar junction transistor; -
a second resistor (34) connected between said first resistor and the emitter of said bipolar junction transistor; a third resistor (36) connected between said second resistor and a predetermined reference potential; and a current source (41) connected to the base of said bipolar junction transistor for providing a voltage across said first resistor which increases the normalized negative temperature coefficient of the voltage at the junction of said second and third resistors to a value above that of the base to emitter voltage of said bipolar junction transistor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A temperature compensation circuit comprising
a first device (20) having a positive temperture coefficient, yielding a positive voltage variation with temperature; -
a bipolar junction transistor (30) coupled to the output of said first device, said bipolar junction transistor having a negative temperature coefficient, yielding a negative voltage variation with temperature of lesser magnitude than said positive voltage variation of said first device; and enhanced negative temperature compensation means (34,36,38,41) coupled to both said bipolar junction transistor and said first device for increasing the inherent negative temperature coefficient of said bipolar junction transistor and providing an overall zero temperature coefficient in said temperature compensation circuit, wherein said enhanced negative temperature compensation means comprises a first resistor (38) connected to the base of the bipolar junction transistor; a second resistor (34) connected between said first resistor and the emitter of said bipolar junction transistor; a third resistor (36) connected between said second resistor and a predetermined reference potential; and a constant current source (41) coupled between the base of said bipolar junction transistor and said predetermined reference potential for providing a constant voltage across said first resistor which increases the normalized negative temperature coefficient of the voltage at the junction of said second and third resistors to a value above that of the base to emitter voltage of said bipolar junction transistor. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A temperature compensation circuit for providing an enhanced negative temperature coefficient, said circuit comprising
an input terminal (A) for receiving an input current; -
a first transistor (30) having its emitter connected to said input terminal wherein the base-to-emitter voltage of said first transistor decreases at a first predetermined normalized rate as the temperature of said temperature compensation circuit increases; an output terminal (B); a voltage divider network (34 and
36), including an internal divider node, connected between said input terminal and said output terminal; andmeans for controlling the voltage at said internal divider node of said voltage divider network such that said voltage is held constant for an increasing input current, wherein the controlling of said internal divider node voltage results in decreasing its voltage with respect to the input terminal at a second normalized rate greater than said first predetermined normalized rate as the temperature of said temperature compensation circuit increases. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification