Voltage regulator with high accuracy and high power supply rejection ratio

• US 8,378,654 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Chern, Chan-Hong, Yuan, Min-Shueh, Swei, Yuwen, Lin, Chih-Chang, Pu, Chiang, Huang, Ming-Chieh, Hsu, Kuoyuan, Chang, Tzu Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANE, ADOLF D
• Application Number:
  US12/750,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20100253303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 323/224, 323/225, 323/270, 323/271, 323280-284, 323/351
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/44 semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/56 using semiconductor devices in series with the load as final control devices G05F1/461 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load

Abstract

A voltage regulator circuit with high accuracy and Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSRR) is provided. In one embodiment, an op-amp with a voltage reference input to an inverting input has the first output connected to a PMOS transistor'"'"'s gate. The PMOS transistor'"'"'s source and drain are each connected to the power supply and the voltage regulator output. The voltage regulator output is connected to an NMOS transistor biased in saturation mode and a series of two resistors. The non-inverting input of the op-amp is connected in between the two resistors for the first feedback loop. The op-amp'"'"'s second output is connected to the gate of the NMOS transistor through an AC-coupling capacitor for the second feedback loop. The op-amp'"'"'s first output can be connected to the power supply voltage through a capacitor to further improve high frequency PSRR. In another embodiment, the role of PMOS and NMOS transistors is reversed.

Claims

1. A voltage regulator circuit, comprising:

a reference voltage input;

a voltage output;

a first resistor;

a second resistor;

an op-amp having an inverting input, a non-inverting input, and a first op-amp output;

a PMOS transistor;

a first NMOS transistor; and

a bias circuit outside the op-amp,

wherein the reference voltage input is connected to the inverting input, the first op-amp output is connected to a gate of the PMOS transistor, a source of the PMOS transistor is connected to a power supply voltage, a drain of the PMOS transistor is connected to the voltage output and a drain of the first NMOS transistor, a source of the first NMOS transistor is connected to a ground, the voltage output is connected to the first resistor, the first resistor is also connected to the non-inverting input, a second resistor is connected to the first resistor and the ground, and the bias circuit is electrically coupled to the gate of the first NMOS transistor and configured to bias the first NMOS transistor in saturation mode.

2. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein a capacitor is connected to the voltage output and the ground.

3. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein the bias circuit comprises a second NMOS transistor and a current source circuit connected to a gate and a drain of the second NMOS transistor, wherein a source of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the ground and the drain of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the gate of the first NMOS transistor through a third resistor.

4. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 3, wherein the current source circuit includes a variable resistor connected to the power supply voltage.

5. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 3, wherein the op-amp further comprises a second op-amp output connected to the gate of the first NMOS transistor through a capacitor.

6. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 5, wherein the first NMOS transistor is adjustable to change a current capacity of the first NMOS transistor.

7. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein the first resistor is adjustable.

8. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein the first op-amp output is connected to the power supply through a capacitor.

9. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein the voltage input is connected to the inverting input of the op-amp through another resistor and the inverting input is connected to the ground through a capacitor.

10. A voltage regulator circuit, comprising:

a reference voltage input;

a voltage output;

a first resistor;

a second resistor;

an op-amp having an inverting input, a non-inverting input, and an op-amp output;

an NMOS transistor;

a first PMOS transistor; and

a bias circuit outside the op-amp,

wherein the reference voltage input is connected to the inverting input, the op-amp output is connected to a gate of the NMOS transistor, a source of the NMOS transistor is connected to a ground, a drain of the NMOS transistor is connected to the voltage output and a drain of the first PMOS transistor, a source of the first PMOS transistor is connected to a power supply voltage, the voltage output is connected to the first resistor, the first resistor is also connected to the non-inverting input of the op-amp, a second resistor is connected to the first resistor and the ground, and the bias circuit is electrically coupled to the gate of the first PMOS transistor and configured to bias the first PMOS transistor in saturation mode.

11. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 10, wherein a first capacitor is connected to the voltage output and the ground.

12. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 10, wherein the bias circuit comprises a second PMOS transistor and a current source circuit connected to a gate and a drain of the second PMOS transistor, wherein a source of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the power supply voltage and the drain of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the gate of the first PMOS transistor through a third resistor.

13. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 12, wherein the current source circuit includes a variable resistor connected to the ground.

14. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 10, wherein the first PMOS transistor is adjustable to change a current capacity of the first PMOS transistor.

15. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 10, wherein the first resistor is adjustable.

16. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 10, wherein the op-amp output is connected to the ground through a capacitor.

17. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 10, wherein the reference voltage input is connected to the inverting input of the op-amp through another resistor and the inverting input is connected to the ground through a capacitor.

18. A voltage regulator circuit, comprising:

a reference voltage input;

a voltage output;

a first resistor;

a second resistor;

an op-amp having an inverting input, a non-inverting input, a first op-amp output and a second op-amp output;

a PMOS transistor;

a first NMOS transistor; and

a second NMOS transistor;

wherein the reference voltage input is connected to the inverting input, the first op-amp output is connected to a gate of the PMOS transistor, a source of the PMOS transistor is connected to a power supply voltage, a drain of the PMOS transistor is connected to the voltage output and a drain of the first NMOS transistor, a source of the first NMOS transistor is connected to a ground, the voltage output is connected to the first resistor, the first resistor is connected to the non-inverting input, a second resistor is connected to the first resistor and the ground, and a bias voltage is connected to the gate of the first NMOS transistor so that the first NMOS transistor is in saturation mode, wherein the bias voltage is supplied by a current source circuit connected to a gate and a drain of the second NMOS transistor, a source of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the ground, the drain of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the gate of the first NMOS transistor through a third resistor, wherein the current source circuit includes a fourth resistor connected to the power supply voltage, and the second op-amp output is connected to the gate of the first NMOS transistor through a capacitor.

19. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 18, wherein the first NMOS transistor is adjustable to change a current capacity of the first NMOS transistor.

20. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 18, wherein the first resistor is adjustable.