Precision reference voltage source

Details Precision reference voltage source Precision reference voltage source

1991-10-01

1993-11-02

Voeltz, Emanuel T.

Electricity: power supply or regulation systems

Self-regulating

Using a three or more terminal semiconductive device as the...

323315, 3072961, 3072966, G05F 322

Patent

active

052587029

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a precision reference voltage source as generically defined by the preamble to the main claim.
Increasingly stringent demands are made in terms of the characterizing data of monolithically integrated circuits for the motor vehicle. Because of the wide temperature range from -40.degree. C..ltoreq.Tj.ltoreq.+150.degree. C. and above, reference voltage sources with an extremely small or definedly predeterminable temperature coefficient (TK) and low piezoelectric sensitivity are especially important.
From the article by G. C. M. Meijer, P. C. Schmale and K. van Zalinge, "A New Curvature-Corrected Bandgap Reference" in IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. SC-17, No. 6, Dec. 1982, A precision reference voltage source of the generic type of the main claim is already known; it contains 47 components on a chip area of 4 mm.sup.2 and requires an IC manufacturing process using nickel-chromium resistor technology. Its temperature coefficient is given as 50 ppm in a temperature range of 25.degree. C..ltoreq.Tj.ltoreq.85.degree. C.
The article by A. P. Brokaw, "A Simple Three-Terminal IC Bandgap-Reference" in IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. SC-9, No. 6, December 1974, already discloses a monolithically integrated reference voltage source operating by the bandgap principle, which includes 29 components on a chip area of 1.47 mm.sup.2 and is likewise produced by nickel-chromium resistor technology. Its temperature coefficient is given as 5 to 60 ppm for a temperature range from -55.degree. C..ltoreq.Tj.ltoreq.125.degree. C.


ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

The precision reference voltage source according to the invention, as defined by the body of the main claim, has the advantage over the prior art that in it, the approximately parabolic course of the temperature coefficient of the bandgap reference is linearized by simple provisions, contrary to the known versions with complicated circuitry, and that its piezoelectric sensitivity is lowered.
The temperature coefficient of the bandgap voltage of silicon includes higher order terms (Tsividis, Y. P.: "Accurate Analysis of Temperature Effects in I.sub.C -V.sub.BE Characteristics with Application to Bandgap Reference Sources", IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. SC-15, No. 6, December 1980).
The following zones are available for the monolithically integrated circuit: substrate (P.sup.-), isolation diffusion (P-P.sup.+), epitaxial (N.sup.-), buried-layer diffusion (N.sup.+), deep-collector diffusion (N.sup.+) base diffusion (P), emitter diffusion (N.sup.+), metallizing, and possibly other zones, such as doped polysilicon or chromium
ickel resistors (for fused links); other zones may also be present, dictated by the process, examples being an upper and lower isolation diffusion zone or a base-connection diffusion zone.
If one considers the temperature coefficients of the specific or areal resistors +.gamma.(.DELTA.T).sup.3 ] coefficient, such as the N.sup.+ -doped or metallized zones, and others with a more or less high proportion of higher order terms, such as the P-doped ones. There are also zones with a more or less piezoelectric sensitivity.
The subject of the invention is based on the intent to linearize an approximately parabolic temperature course of the bandgap voltage further compared with what is known, or to compensate for it by means of a resistor having a temperature coefficient likewise having a proportion of higher order terms. Adequately good compensation can already be attained by taking the quadratic term into account. Since there are zones with a large quadratic term and zones with a small one, the correct value can be attained by means of a suitable combination of at least two different zones. As a result, compared with the prior art, there is not only a drastic simplification of circuitry and technology, but associated with it also a considerably smaller chip area. This latter feature is especially important:
Since the temperature coefficients, at 5 to 50 ppm, given for the above

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Yannis P. Tsividis, "Accurate Analysis of Temperature Effects in I.sub.C -V.sub.BE Characteristics with Application to Bandgap Reference Sources," IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. SC-15, 1.pi.6, pp. 1076-1084 (Dec. 1980).
A. B. Grebene, "Bipolar and MOS Analog Integrated Circuit Design" section 3.9--Trimming of Resistors, pp. 155-159, (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1984).
A. Paul Brokaw, "A Simple Three-Terminal IC Bandgap Reference" IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. SC-9, No. 6, pp. 388-393 (Dec. 1974).
Gerard C. M. Meijer, et al., "A New Curvature-Corrected Bandgap Reference", IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. SC-17, No. 6, pp. 1139-1143 (Dec. 1982).
Bang-Sup Song et al., "A Precision Curvature-Compensated CMOS Bandgap Reference", IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. SC-18, No. 6, pp. 634-643 (Dec. 1983).
Marc Degrauwe et al., "A Family of CMOS Compatible Bandgap Refrences", 8172 IEEE International Solid-State Conference, Coral Gables, Fla, Feb. 1985, pp. 142, 143, 326 +FIGS. 1-4.

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