Semiconductor integrated circuit device and method of regulating output voltage thereof

• US 9,791,873 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ablic Inc. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SII Semiconductor Corporation (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Harada, Hirofumi, Kato, Shinjiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tiku, Sisay G
• Application Number:
  US14/805,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20160033981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 323265
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/468 characterised by reference voltage circuitry, e.g. soft start, remote shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/147 Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops G11C5/141 takes precedence

Abstract

A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a PMOS output element having a source electrode connected to a power supply terminal and a drain electrode connected to an output voltage terminal from which an output voltage is supplied. A voltage dividing circuit has resistors for dividing the supplied output voltage to produce a divided voltage. A reference voltage circuit generates a reference voltage and has a memory element whose threshold voltage determines the reference voltage. The reference voltage circuit has a regulating input terminal connected to the memory element to change the threshold voltage of the memory element. An error amplifier is supplied with the divided voltage and the reference voltage to generate a voltage that is applied to a gate electrode of the PMOS output element. The voltage is amplified depending on a difference between the divided voltage and the reference voltage.

Claims

1. A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising:

a PMOS output element having a source electrode connected to a power supply terminal and a drain electrode connected to an output voltage terminal from which an output voltage is supplied;

a voltage dividing circuit having resistors for dividing the supplied output voltage to produce a divided voltage;

a reference voltage circuit for generating a reference voltage and having a memory element whose threshold voltage determines the reference voltage directly output from the reference voltage circuit, the reference voltage circuit having a regulating input terminal which is connected to the memory element and which receives an input signal proportional to a measured value of the reference voltage output from the reference voltage circuit to change the threshold voltage of the memory element to thereby change the value of the reference voltage; and

an error amplifier to which the divided voltage and the reference voltage are supplied to generate a voltage applied to a gate electrode of the PMOS output element, the voltage being amplified depending on a difference between the divided voltage and the reference voltage.

2. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the memory element of the reference voltage circuit is an N-channel MOS transistor comprising a floating gate electrode and a control gate electrode.

3. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the memory element of the reference voltage circuit comprises an N-channel depression type MOS transistor having a floating gate a control gate electrode, and electrode;

and wherein the reference voltage circuit further comprises an N-channel enhancement type MOS transistor serially connected to the memory element.

4. A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising:

a voltage dividing circuit having resistors for dividing a power supply voltage supplied from a power supply terminal to produce a divided voltage;

a reference voltage circuit for generating a reference voltage and having a memory element whose threshold voltage determines the reference voltage directly output from the reference voltage circuit, the reference voltage circuit having a regulating input terminal which is connected to the memory element and which receives an input signal proportional to a measured value of the reference voltage output from the reference voltage circuit to change the threshold voltage of the memory element to thereby change the value of the reference voltage; and

a comparator to which the divided voltage and the reference voltage are supplied to generate a signal which corresponds to a difference between the divided voltage and the reference voltage and which is sent from an output voltage terminal.

5. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 4, wherein the memory element of the reference voltage circuit is an N-channel MOS transistor comprising a floating gate electrode and a control gate electrode.

6. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 4, wherein the memory element of the reference voltage circuit comprises an N-channel depression type MOS transistor having a floating gate electrode and a control gate electrode;

and wherein the reference voltage circuit further comprises an N-channel enhancement type MOS transistor serially connected to the memory element.