Method of operating voltage regulator

• US 8,766,613 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2013
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• 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:
  US13/744,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 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 method of operating a voltage regulator circuit includes generating a control signal by an amplifier of the voltage regulator circuit. The control signal is generated based on a reference signal at an inverting input of the amplifier and a feedback signal at a non-inverting input of the amplifier. A driving current flowing toward an output node of the voltage regulator circuit is generated by a driver responsive to the control signal, and the driver is coupled between a first power node and the output node. The feedback signal is generated responsive to a voltage level at the output node. A transistor, coupled between the output node and a second power node, is caused to operate in saturation mode during a period while the voltage regulator circuit is operating.

Claims

1. A method of operating a voltage regulator circuit, comprising

generating a control signal by an amplifier of the voltage regulator circuit, the control signal being generated based on a reference signal at an inverting input of the amplifier and a feedback signal at a non-inverting input of the amplifier;

generating, by a driver responsive to the control signal, a driving current flowing toward an output node of the voltage regulator circuit, the driver being coupled between a first power node and the output node;

generating the feedback signal responsive to a voltage level at the output node; and

causing a transistor, coupled between the output node and a second power node, to operate in saturation mode during a period while the voltage regulator circuit is operating,

wherein the causing the transistor to operate in saturation mode comprises supplying a bias signal at a gate of the transistor by a bias circuit outside the amplifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the bias signal by another transistor coupled to a current source, the another transistor being a diode-connected transistor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting an output current of the current source.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the bias signal by another transistor coupled to a resistor, the resistor being coupled between the another transistor and the first power node, and the another transistor being a diode-connected transistor.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising adjusting a resistance value of the resistor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the first power node to have a first voltage; and

causing the second power node to have a second voltage, a voltage level of the first voltage being greater than that of the second voltage.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the first power node to have a first voltage; and

causing the second power node to have a second voltage, a voltage level of the first voltage being less than that of the second voltage.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the amplifier has an inverting output and a non-inverting output, and the method further comprises:

outputting the control signal at the non-inverting output of the amplifier.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the inverting output of the amplifier is capacitively coupled to a gate of the transistor, and the method further comprises:

outputting another control signal at the inverting output of the amplifier; and

AC coupling the another control signal with the gate of the transistor.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

capacitively coupling the non-inverting output of the amplifier with the first power node.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the voltage regulator circuit further comprises a first resistor and a second resistor, the first resistor is coupled between the output node and the non-inverting input of the amplifier, the second resistor is coupled between the non-inverting input of the amplifier and the second power node, and the method further comprises:

adjusting the resistance of the first resistor.

12. A method of operating a voltage regulator circuit, comprising:

outputting a first control signal at a non-inverting output of an amplifier of the voltage regulator circuit, the first control signal being generated based on a reference signal at an inverting input of the amplifier and a feedback signal at a non-inverting input of the amplifier;

outputting a second control signal at an inverting output of the amplifier;

generating, by a driver responsive to the first control signal, a driving current flowing toward an output node of the voltage regulator circuit, the driver being coupled between a first power node and the output node;

generating the feedback signal responsive to a voltage level at the output node;

AC coupling the second control signal with a gate of a transistor, the transistor being coupled between the output node and a second power node; and

DC biasing the transistor to operate in saturation mode during a period while the voltage regulator circuit is operating,

wherein the DC biasing the transistor comprises supplying a bias signal at the gate of the transistor by a bias circuit outside the amplifier.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating the bias signal by another transistor coupled to a current source, the another transistor being a diode-connected transistor.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating the bias signal by another transistor coupled to a resistor, the resistor being coupled between the another transistor and the first power node, and the another transistor being a diode-connected transistor.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

causing the first power node to have a first voltage; and

causing the second power node to have a second voltage, a voltage level of the first voltage being greater than that of the second voltage.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

causing the first power node to have a first voltage; and

causing the second power node to have a second voltage, a voltage level of the first voltage being less than that of the second voltage.

15. A method of operating a voltage regulator circuit, comprising:

generating, by a first transistor, a first driving current flowing toward an output node of the voltage regulator circuit in response to at least a reference voltage and a voltage level at the output node, a gate of the first transistor and the output node being within a feed-back loop; and

generating, by a second transistor, a second driving current flowing away from the output node of the voltage regulator circuit during a period while the voltage regulator circuit is operating, a gate of the second transistor being not within the feed-back loop,

wherein the generating the second driving current comprises biasing the second transistor to operate in saturation mode during the period while the voltage regulator circuit is operating, the biasing comprising supplying a bias signal at the gate of the second transistor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the gate of the second transistor and the output node are within another feed-back loop different from the feed-back loop.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating a control signal by an amplifier of the voltage regulator circuit, the control signal being generated based on the reference signal at an inverting input of the amplifier and the feedback signal at a non-inverting input of the amplifier; and

supplying the control signal to the gate of the first transistor.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the amplifier has an inverting output and a non-inverting output, and the method further comprises:

outputting the control signal at the non-inverting output of the amplifier.