Circuits for improving linearity of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors

• US 9,013,226 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Dusad, Shagun, Pentakota, Visvesvaraya
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US13/627,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20140084982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 327/427, 327/434, 327/109, 327/306, 327/308, 327/317, 327/323, 327/331, 327/332
• US Class Current: 327/434
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/32 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce non-linear distortion by negative feedback H03F1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45394 the AAC of the dif amp comprising FETs whose sources are not coupled, i.e. the AAC being a pseudo-differential amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45684 the LC comprising one or more buffers or driving stages not being of the emitter respectively source follower type, between the output of the dif amp and the output stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45702 the LC comprising two resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45179 using MOSFET transistors as the active amplifying circuit H03F3/45278 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/16 Modifications for eliminating interference voltages or currents
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/165 by feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit

Abstract

Various embodiments of circuits configured to improve second order harmonic distortion of Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) transistors operating in linear region are provided. In one embodiment, a circuit includes an averaging circuit configured to average signals at a drain and a source of a MOS transistor and provide the averaged signal to a gate of the MOS transistor, and one or more current sources coupled with the gate; the circuit is configured to vary voltage at the gate so as to vary a resistance of the MOS transistor. The averaging circuit comprises a first MOS circuit coupled between the drain and the gate, a first capacitor coupled in parallel to the first MOS circuit between the drain and the gate, a second MOS circuit coupled between the source and the gate, and a second capacitor coupled in parallel to the second MOS circuit between the source and the gate.

Claims

1. A circuit for improving linearity of a Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) transistor comprising a gate, a source and a drain, the circuit comprising:

an averaging circuit configured to provide a signal at the gate in response to signals at the drain and the source, the averaging circuit comprising;

a first MOS circuit configured to be coupled between the drain and the gate, wherein the first MOS circuit comprises;

a source follower MOS circuit comprising;

a first PMOS transistor having a gate node coupled with the drain of the MOS transistor, and

a first current source coupled between a power supply and a source node of the first PMOS transistor; and

a first resistor coupling the source node of the first PMOS transistor with the gate of the MOS transistor, and

a second MOS circuit configured to be coupled between the source and the gate; and

one or more current sources coupled with the gate, the one or more current sources configured to vary currents in the first and second MOS circuits so as to vary a voltage at the gate and thereby vary a resistance of the MOS transistor.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second MOS circuit comprises:

a source follower MOS circuit comprising;

a second PMOS transistor having a gate node configured to be coupled with the source of the MOS transistor, and

a second current source coupled between the power supply and a source node of the second PMOS transistor; and

a second resistor coupling the source node of the second PMOS transistor with the gate of the MOS transistor.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein a drain node of the first PMOS transistor and a drain node of the second PMOS transistor are coupled with a substrate voltage.

4. A circuit for improving linearity of a Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) transistor comprising a gate, a source and a drain, the circuit comprising:

an averaging circuit configured to provide a signal at the gate in response to signals at the drain and the source, the averaging circuit comprising;

a first MOS circuit configured to be coupled between the drain and the gate, and

a second MOS circuit configured to be coupled between the source and the gate; and

one or more current sources coupled with the gate, the one or more current sources configured to vary currents in the first and second MOS circuits so as to vary a voltage at the gate and thereby vary a resistance of the MOS transistor, wherein the one or more current sources comprises a current source coupled between a power supply and the gate and a current sink coupled between the gate and a substrate voltage.

5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein at least one of the current source and the current sink is configured to provide a variable current.

6. A circuit, comprising:

an averaging circuit configured to be coupled with a Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) transistor, the MOS transistor comprising a gate, a source and a drain, and the averaging circuit configured to provide an average of signals at the drain and the source to the gate, the averaging circuit comprising;

a first MOS circuit coupled between a first node and a second node, the first node configured to be coupled with the drain, the second node configured to be coupled with the gate, and the first MOS circuit configured to provide a signal at the second node in response to a signal at the first node, wherein the first MOS circuit comprises;

a source follower MOS circuit comprising;

a first PMOS transistor having a gate node coupled with the first node, and

a first current source coupled between a power supply and a source node of the first PMOS transistor; and

a first resistor coupling the source node of the first PMOS transistor with the second node,

a first capacitor coupled in parallel with the first MOS circuit between the first node and the second node,

a second MOS circuit coupled between a third node and the second node, the third node configured to be coupled with the source, and the second MOS circuit configured to provide a signal at the second node that is responsive to a signal at the third node, and

a second capacitor coupled in parallel with the second MOS circuit between the third node and the second node,

wherein the first MOS circuit and the second MOS circuit are configured to average the signals at the drain and the source at a first signal frequency, and wherein the first capacitor and the second capacitor are configured to average the signals at the drain and the source at a second signal frequency, the second signal frequency being higher than the first signal frequency; and

one or more current sources coupled with the second node, the one or more current sources configured to vary currents in the first and second MOS circuits so as to vary a voltage at the second node and thereby vary a voltage at the gate for varying a resistance of the MOS transistor.

7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the second MOS circuit comprises:

a source follower MOS circuit comprising;

a second PMOS transistor having a gate node coupled with the third node, and

a second current source coupled between the power supply and a source node of the second PMOS transistor; and

a second resistor coupling the source node of the second PMOS transistor with the second node.

8. The circuit of claim 7, wherein a drain node of the first PMOS transistor and a drain node of the second PMOS transistor are coupled with a substrate voltage.

9. A circuit, comprising:

an averaging circuit configured to be coupled with a Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) transistor, the MOS transistor comprising a gate, a source and a drain, and the averaging circuit configured to provide an average of signals at the drain and the source to the gate, the averaging circuit comprising;

a first MOS circuit coupled between a first node and a second node, the first node configured to be coupled with the drain, the second node configured to be coupled with the gate, and the first MOS circuit configured to provide a signal at the second node in response to a signal at the first node,

a first capacitor coupled in parallel with the first MOS circuit between the first node and the second node,

a second MOS circuit coupled between a third node and the second node, the third node configured to be coupled with the source, and the second MOS circuit configured to provide a signal at the second node that is responsive to a signal at the third node, and

a second capacitor coupled in parallel with the second MOS circuit between the third node and the second node; and

one or more current sources coupled with the second node, the one or more current sources configured to vary currents in the first and second MOS circuits so as to vary a voltage at the second node and thereby vary a voltage at the gate for varying a resistance of the MOS transistor, wherein the one or more current sources comprises a current source coupled between a power supply and the second node and a current sink coupled between the second node and a substrate voltage.

10. The circuit of claim 9, wherein at least one of the current source and the current sink is configured to provide a variable current.

11. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor have substantially equal resistances.

12. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the first capacitor and the second capacitor have substantially equal capacitances.

13. A Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) resistor, comprising:

a MOS transistor having a drain, a source and a gate, configured to operate in linear region as a resistor;

an averaging circuit configured to provide a signal at the gate in response to signals at the drain and the source, the averaging circuit comprising;

a first MOS circuit coupled between the drain and the gate, wherein the first MOS circuit comprises;

a source follower MOS circuit comprising;

a first PMOS transistor having a gate node coupled with the drain of the MOS transistor, and

a first current source coupled between a power supply and a source node of the first PMOS transistor; and

a first resistor coupling the source node of the first PMOS transistor with the gate of the MOS transistor,

a first capacitor coupled in parallel with the first MOS circuit between the drain and the gate,

a second MOS circuit coupled between the source and the gate, and

a second capacitor coupled in parallel with the second MOS circuit between the source and the gate; and

one or more current sources coupled with the gate, the one or more current sources configured to vary currents in the first MOS circuit and the second MOS circuit so as to vary a voltage at the gate and thereby vary a resistance of the MOS transistor.

14. A Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) resistor, comprising:

a MOS transistor having a drain, a source and a gate, configured to operate in linear region as a resistor;

an averaging circuit configured to provide a signal at the gate in response to signals at the drain and the source, the averaging circuit comprising;

a first MOS circuit coupled between the drain and the gate,

a first capacitor coupled in parallel with the first MOS circuit between the drain and the gate,

a second MOS circuit coupled between the source and the gate, wherein the second MOS circuit comprises;

a source follower MOS circuit comprising;

a second PMOS transistor having a gate node configured to be coupled with the source of the MOS transistor, and

a second current source coupled with between the power supply and a source node of the second PMOS transistor; and

a second resistor coupling the source node of the second PMOS transistor with the gate of the MOS transistor, and

a second capacitor coupled in parallel with the second MOS circuit between the source and the gate; and

one or more current sources coupled with the gate, the one or more current sources configured to vary currents in the first MOS circuit and the second MOS circuit so as to vary a voltage at the gate and thereby vary a resistance of the MOS transistor.