Integrated circuit comparator or amplifier

• US 8,258,816 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Forbes, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells, Kenneth B.
• Application Number:
  US12/908,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20110037500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 327 65- 67, 327/563
• US Class Current: 327/65
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/513 the amplifier being made for low supply voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/78 A comparator being used in a controlling circuit of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45664 the LC comprising one or more cascaded inverter stages as output stage at one output of the dif amp circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45666 the LC comprising two anti-phase controlled inverter circuits as output stages, e.g. fully differential
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45183 Long tailed pairs H03F3/4521, H03F3/45237 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/2472 using field effect transistors H03K5/2436 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/2481 with at least one differential stage

Abstract

An integrated circuit comparator comprises a differential amplifier, a source follower circuit coupled to a gate terminal of a first transistor in the differential amplifier, and an output circuit. One or more source follower circuits may be utilized in connection with the differential amplifier, and one or more source follower circuits may be utilized in connection with the output circuit.

Claims

1. An amplifier, comprising:

a source follower configured to provide an output signal;

a transistor of a first type, wherein the transistor is configured to be driven by the output signal of the source follower; and

a transistor of a second type coupled in series with the transistor of the first type,

wherein the source follower and the transistor of a second type are configured to receive a same input signal and wherein the transistor of the first type comprises a PMOS transistor and wherein the transistor of the second type comprises a NMOS transistor.

2. The amplifier of claim 1 wherein a gate of the transistor of the first type is coupled to a node of the source follower.

3. The amplifier of claim 1 wherein the source follower comprises a first NMOS transistor and a second NMOS transistor configured to be coupled in series between a first potential and a second potential, wherein a gate of the first NMOS transistor is configured to be coupled an input signal and wherein a gate of the second NMOS transistor is configured to be coupled to a third potential, the third potential being between the first and second potential.

4. The amplifier of claim 3 wherein the transistor of the first type and the transistor of the second type are configured to be coupled between the first potential and the second potential.

5. The amplifier of claim 3 wherein a gate of the transistor of the second type is configured to be coupled to the input signal.

6. A comparator, comprising:

a differential amplifier; and

an output amplifier coupled to receive the output of the differential amplifier, at least one of the differential amplifier and output amplifier including an amplifier comprising;

a source follower configured to provide an output signal;

a transistor of a first type, wherein the transistor is configured to be driven by the output signal of the source follower; and

a transistor of a second type coupled in series with the transistor of the first type,

wherein the source follower and the transistor of a second type are configured to receive a same input signal.

7. The comparator of claim 6 wherein the differential amplifier is coupled to the source follower.

8. The comparator of claim 7 wherein the differential amplifier also includes a source follower.

9. The comparator of claim 6 wherein the output amplifier is coupled to a node between the transistor of the first type and the transistor of the second type.

10. The comparator of claim 9 wherein the output amplifier also includes a source follower.

11. The comparator of claim 9, further comprising:

a second transistor of the first type, wherein the second transistor of the first type is configured to be driven by the output signal of the source follower; and

a second transistor of the second type coupled in series with the second transistor of the first type.

12. The comparator of claim 11 wherein the source follower comprises a first NMOS transistor and a second NMOS transistor configured to be coupled in series between a first potential and a second potential, wherein a gate of the first NMOS transistor is configured to be coupled to a node between the second transistor of the first type and the second transistor of the second type, and wherein a gate of the second NMOS transistor is configured to be coupled to a third potential, the third potential being between the first and second potential.

13. The comparator of claim 12 wherein:

the second transistor of the first type and the second transistor of the second type are coupled configured to be coupled between the first potential and a second node; and

the first transistor of the first type and the first transistor of the second type are also configured to be coupled between the first potential and the second node.

14. The comparator of claim 13, further comprising a third NMOS transistor, wherein the third NMOS transistor is configured to be coupled between the second node and the second potential, and wherein a gate of the third NMOS transistor is configured to be coupled to the third potential.

15. The comparator of claim 11 wherein a gate of the first transistor of the second type is configured to an input signal, and wherein a gate of the second transistor of the second type is configured to receive a reference signal.

16. The comparator of claim 6 wherein the differential amplifier includes the amplifier and the source follower of the amplifier is a first source follower configured to provide a first output signal, the amplifier further including a second source follower configured to provide a second output signal, the transistor of the first type is configured to be driven by at least one of the first and second output signals and wherein at least one of the first and second source followers and the transistor of the second type are configured to receive the same input signal.

17. The comparator of claim 16, further comprising an inverter amplifier coupled to a node between the transistor of the first type and the transistor of the second type.

18. The comparator of claim 16 wherein the transistor of the first type comprises a first transistor of the first type and the transistor of the second type comprises a first transistor of the second type, and the differential amplifier further comprises:

a second source follower configured to provide a second output signal;

a second transistor of a first type, wherein the second transistor of the first type is configured to be driven by the second output signal; and

a second transistor of a second type coupled in series with the second transistor of the first type,

wherein the source follower and the transistor of a second type are configured to receive a same input signal.

19. The comparator of claim 18, further comprising:

a first inverter amplifier coupled to a node between the first transistor of the first type and the first transistor of the second type; and

a second inverter amplifier coupled to a node between the second transistor of the first type and the second transistor of the second type.