Fast transient response voltage regulator

• US 9,195,248 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Zegheru, Cristian Stefan, Radoias, Liviu-Mihai
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Jue
• Application Number:
  US14/134,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20150177753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 323/268, 323/269, 323/273
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/468 characterised by reference voltage circuitry, e.g. soft start, remote shutdown

Abstract

Techniques are described for adjusting an amount of current flowing through a first and second transistor of a voltage regulator connected to an output of a voltage regulator to maintain an output of the voltage regulator at a constant output voltage level. Also, a resistor connects a gate of the first transistor to a gate of a second transistor. The techniques may also charge or discharge a parasitic capacitance of the first transistor with a first current source connected to the gate of the first transistor and a second current source connected to the gate of the first transistor through the resistor.

Claims

1. A voltage regulator comprising:

a first transistor and a second transistor, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are connected to a power source of the voltage regulator and an output of the voltage regulator, and wherein the first transistor and the second transistor deliver an amount of current needed to maintain the output of the voltage regulator at a constant output voltage level;

a resistor that connects a gate of the first transistor to a gate of the second transistor; and

a first current source and a second current source, wherein the first current source is configured to drive the gate of the first transistor and the gate of the second transistor through the resistor, and wherein the second current source is configured to drive the gate of the second transistor and the gate of the first transistor through the resistor.

2. The voltage regulator of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of additional transistors that are each connected to the power source of the voltage regulator and the output of the voltage regulator and deliver the amount of current needed to maintain the output of the voltage regulator at the constant output voltage level;

a plurality of additional resistors, wherein a gate of any of the additional transistors is connected to a gate of any of the other additional transistor and the first and second transistors through one or more of the plurality of additional resistors; and

a plurality of additional current sources configured to drive gates of respective additional transistors and gates of the other additional transistors through one or more of the plurality of additional resistors.

3. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein, in response to a change in the amount of current needed to maintain the output of the voltage regulator at the constant voltage level, the first and second current source are configured to initially charge or discharge only a parasitic capacitance of the first transistor.

4. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein, in response to a change in the amount of current needed to maintain the output of the voltage regulator at the constant voltage level, an amount of current flowing through the first transistor changes more quickly than an amount of current flowing through the second transistor based on a parasitic capacitance of the first transistor charging or discharging more quickly than a parasitic capacitance of the second transistor.

5. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein, in response to a change in the amount of current needed to maintain the output of the voltage regulator at the constant output voltage level, the first transistor is configured to deliver the amount of current needed until an amount of current flowing through the second transistor changes.

6. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein the first transistor is smaller than the second transistor.

7. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein a current level of the first current source is proportional to a size of the first transistor, and wherein a current level of the current source is proportional to a size of the second transistor.

8. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein the second current source is configured to timely discharge a parasitic capacitance of the second transistor in response to a reduction in an amount of current that needs to be delivered by the voltage regulator to minimize a voltage overshoot in the output of the voltage regulator.

9. A method comprising:

in response to a change in an amount of current that needs to be delivered by a voltage regulator, adjusting an amount of current flowing through a first transistor and a second transistor of the voltage regulator to maintain an output of the voltage regulator at a constant output voltage level, wherein the first transistor and second transistor are connected to a power source of the voltage regulator and to the output of the voltage regulator, and wherein a resistor of the voltage regulator connects a gate of the first transistor to a gate of the second transistor; and

in response to the change in the amount of current that needs to be delivered by the voltage regulator, charging or discharging a parasitic capacitance of the first transistor with a first current source connected to the gate of the first transistor and a second current source connected to the gate of the first transistor through the resistor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein charging or discharging the parasitic capacitance comprises charging or discharging only the parasitic capacitance of the first transistor in response to the change in the amount of current that needs to be delivered by the voltage regulator.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting the amount of current flowing through the first transistor and the second transistor of the voltage regulator comprises adjusting an amount of current flowing through the first transistor more quickly than an amount of current flowing through the second transistor based on the parasitic capacitance of the first transistor charging or discharging more quickly than a parasitic capacitance of the second transistor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting the amount of current flowing through the first transistor and the second transistor of the voltage regulator comprises delivering the current with the first transistor until an amount of current flowing through the second transistor changes.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first transistor is smaller than the second transistor.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein a current level of the first current source is proportional to a size of the first transistor, and wherein a current level of the second current source is proportional to a size of the second transistor.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

timely discharging a parasitic capacitance of the second transistor in response to a reduction in the amount of current that needs to be delivered by the voltage regulator to minimize a voltage overshoot in the output of the voltage regulator.

16. A voltage regulator comprising:

in response to a change in an amount of current that needs to be delivered by the voltage regulator, means for adjusting an amount of current flowing through a first transistor and a second transistor of the voltage regulator to maintain an output of the voltage regulator at a constant output voltage level, wherein the first transistor and second transistor are connected to a power source of the voltage regulator and to the output of the voltage regulator, and wherein a resistor of the voltage regulator connects a gate of the first transistor to a gate of the second transistor; and

in response to the change in the amount of current that needs to be delivered by the voltage regulator, means for charging or discharging a parasitic capacitance of the first transistor with a first current source connected to the gate of the first transistor and a second current source connected to the gate of the first transistor through the resistor.

17. The voltage regulator of claim 16, wherein the means for charging or discharging the parasitic capacitance comprises means for charging or discharging only the parasitic capacitance of the first transistor in response to the change in the amount of current that needs to be delivered by the voltage regulator.

18. The voltage regulator of claim 16, wherein the means for adjusting the amount of current flowing through the first transistor and the second transistor of the voltage regulator comprises means for adjusting an amount of current flowing through the first transistor more quickly than an amount of current flowing through the second transistor based on the parasitic capacitance of the first transistor charging or discharging more quickly than a parasitic capacitance of the second transistor.

19. The voltage regulator of claim 16, wherein the first transistor is smaller than the second transistor.

20. The voltage regulator of claim 16, further comprising:

means for timely discharging a parasitic capacitance of the second transistor in response to a reduction in the amount of current that needs to be delivered by the voltage regulator to minimize a voltage overshoot in the output of the voltage regulator.