Temperature-compensated oscillator and device including the same

• US 9,438,205 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Jun Ho, Cho, Jong Pil
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Richard
• Application Number:
  US14/518,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20150116042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 331/57, 331/66, 331/70, 331/176, 331/185
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/011 Modifications of generator to compensate for variations in physical values, e.g. voltage, temperature to maintain energy constant H03K3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0315 Ring oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/02 against variations of temperature only
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/022 by indirect stabilisation, i.e. by generating an electrical correction signal which is a function of the temperature H03L1/021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 5/00 Automatic control of voltage, current, or power

Abstract

A temperature-compensated oscillator and a device including the same include an oscillation unit configured to generate an oscillation signal using an operating current and an operating voltage, a bias circuit configured to control the operating current so that a frequency of the oscillation signal increases as a temperature increases, and a voltage generation unit configured to generate the operating voltage that varies with the temperature.

Claims

1. A temperature-compensated oscillator comprising:

an oscillation unit configured to generate an oscillation signal using an operating current and an operating voltage;

a bias circuit configured to control the operating current so that a frequency of the oscillation signal increases as a temperature increases; and

a voltage generation unit configured to generate the operating voltage that varies with the temperature,

wherein the voltage generation unit comprises;

an operating voltage generation transistor; and

a bulk voltage controller configured to control a bulk voltage of the operating voltage generation transistor, and

wherein the voltage generation unit compensates for a change in the frequency of the oscillation signal with respect to a change in the temperature complementarily with the bias circuit by controlling the operating voltage so that the frequency of the oscillation signal decreases as the temperature increases.

2. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 1, wherein the oscillation unit comprises:

an odd number of inverters connected in series in a ring shape; and

at least one of a first current source connected between a first operating voltage of the operating voltage and the corresponding inverters and controlled by the bias circuit and a second current source connected to the corresponding inverters and a second operating voltage of the operating voltage and controlled by the bias circuit.

3. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 2, wherein the bias circuit comprises a current source proportional to an absolute temperature (PTAT) current source to generate the operating current that increases as the temperature increases.

4. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 3, wherein the operating voltage generation transistor is connected between a supply voltage and the first operating voltage and having a diode connection.

5. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 1, wherein the bulk voltage controller comprises:

at least two bulk voltage control transistors each configured to have a gate and a drain which are connected in common to a bulk of the operating voltage generation transistor; and

a switch circuit configured to be connected to at least one of the bulk voltage control transistors and to be closed and opened in response to a digital control signal of at least two bits.

6. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 4, wherein the PTAT current source comprises:

a first transistor having a gate and a drain connected in common to a first node;

a fourth transistor having a gate and a drain connected in common to a third node;

a fifth transistor having a gate connected to the third node and a drain connected to a fourth node;

a sixth transistor having a source connected to the supply voltage, a gate connected to the fourth node, and a drain connected to the third node;

a seventh transistor having a gate and a drain connected in common to the fourth node and a source connected to the supply voltage; and

an eighth transistor having a gate connected to the fourth node, a source connected to the supply voltage, and a drain connected to the first node.

7. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 6, wherein the first node is connected to the second current source.

8. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 6, wherein:

the PTAT current source further comprises;

a second transistor having a gate connected to the first node and a drain connected to a second node, and

a third transistor having a gate and a drain connected in common to the second node and a source connected to the first operating voltage; and

the second node is connected to the first current source.

9. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 3, wherein the operating voltage generation transistor is connected between a ground voltage and the second operating voltage and having a diode connection.

10. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 9, wherein the PTAT current source comprises:

a first transistor having a drain connected to a first node and a gate connected to a third node;

a fourth transistor having a gate and a drain connected in common to the third node;

a fifth transistor having a gate connected to the third node and a drain connected to a fourth node;

a sixth transistor having a source connected to a supply voltage, a gate connected to the fourth node, and a drain connected to the third node;

a seventh transistor having a gate and a drain connected in common to the fourth node and a source connected to the supply voltage; and

an eighth transistor having a drain connected to the first node.

11. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 10, wherein the first node is connected to the first current source.

12. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 10, wherein the PTAT current source further comprises:

a second transistor having a gate and a drain connected in common to a second node and a source connected to the second operating voltage; and

a third transistor having a gate connected to the first node and a drain connected to the second node, and

the second node is connected to the second current source.

13. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 10, wherein the bias circuit further comprises a bias adjustment circuit configured to adjust a bulk voltage level of at least one transistor among the first transistor and the fourth through eighth transistors.

14. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 13, wherein the bias circuit comprises:

at least two bulk voltage control transistors connected in common to a bulk of at least one transistor among the first transistor and the fourth through eighth transistors; and

a switch circuit configured to be connected to at least one of the bulk voltage control transistors and to be closed and opened in response to a digital control signal.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a temperature-compensated oscillator configured to generate an oscillation signal having an output frequency insensitive to a temperature change; and

a logic circuit configured to operate in response to the oscillation signal,

wherein the temperature-compensated oscillator comprises;

an oscillation unit configured to generate the oscillation signal using an odd number of inverters connected in series in a ring shape;

a bias circuit configured to increase an operating current of each of the inverters as temperature increases; and

a voltage generation unit configured to increase an operating voltage put across both ends of each inverter as the temperature increases,

wherein the voltage generation unit comprises;

an operating voltage generation transistor; and

a bulk voltage controller configured to control a bulk voltage of the operating voltage generation transistor.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein:

the oscillation unit comprises at least one current source of a first current source connected between a first operating voltage and the inverters and being controlled by the bias circuit and a second current source connected to the inverters and a second operating voltage and being controlled by the bias circuit, and

the voltage generation unit comprises at least one transistor of a first operating current generation transistor connected between a supply voltage and the first operating voltage and having a diode connection and a second operating current generation transistor connected between a ground voltage and the second operating voltage and having the diode connection.

17. A temperature-compensated oscillator usable with an electronic device, comprising:

an oscillation unit having inverters as a ring oscillator to be supplied with an operating voltage and an operating current which are variable according to a temperature change and to output an oscillation signal such that a characteristic of the operating current and a characteristic of the operating voltage can be offset to maintain a frequency of the oscillation signal stable regardless of the temperature change; and

a voltage generation unit comprising an operating voltage generation transistor and a bulk voltage controller configured to control a bulk voltage of the operating voltage generation transistor such that the operating voltage is adjusted according to the bulk voltage.

18. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 17, further comprising:

a bias circuit having transistors generates the operating current to increase when the temperature increase,

wherein the voltage generation unit generates the operating voltage to be changed with the temperature.

19. The temperature-compensated oscillator of claim 17, wherein the variable operating voltage and the variable operating current are simultaneously applied to the corresponding inverters of the oscillation unit.