ECEN 607 (ESS)

Bandgap Reference: Basics

Thanks for the help provided by M. Mobarak ,Faramarz Bahmani and Heng Zhang

Outline
Introduction Temperature-independent reference PTAT generator Supply insensitive current source Design example

Introduction
Conditions to be satisfied for an IC in production:
Work even when Vcc changes (Supply variation):
eg: Vcc: 2.7V 3.0V eg: T: -25C 0 25C 75C

Work even when temperature changes (Temperature variation): Work even when physical properties change (Process variation):
BJTs: : 30% MOS: : 10%, Vth: 100mV Resistors: R: 20% Capacitors: C: 5% Inductors: L: 1%

All combinations of supply voltage (Vcc), temperature (T) and process (P) variations have to be considered in design. This is often referred to as PVT (process, voltage and temperature)

Introduction: Case study

Small signal gain variation with PVT:
Supply variation: low frequency gain almost insensitive to VCC variation (assuming Q in active region) Temperature variation: gm is changing (decreasing) with T (assuming ICQ independent of T) gain is dependent on temperature.
Solution: Make ICQ a function of T (increases with T) gain remains insensitive to T.
Vin + Vcc

Q1

Q2

Vin

I bias

Gain = gm =

Vout = gmR Vin = I CQ KT q

Process variations: In BJTs, VT=KT/q is almost

insensitive to process variation (assuming ICQ insensitive to process variations) gm remained intact. However, variations in resistor R results in gain variation.

I CQ VT

Introduction: Case study

Small signal gain variation with PVT: Supply variation: low frequency gain
almost insensitive to VCC variation (assuming Q in active region)
R
Vin + Q1 Rs Rs I bias Vcc

Temperature and Process variations: Holding R/Rs constant low frequency

gain is held constant. can be easily accomplished by
using the same type of resistors for R & Rs following the standard layout practices to achieve good component matching

Q1

Vin +

Bad news: The gain has significantly reduced!

Vout R Gain = Vin Rs

Temperature-Independent Reference
Reference voltages and/or currents with little dependence to temperature prove useful in many analog circuits. Key idea: add two quantities with opposite temperature coefficient with proper weighting the resultant quantity exhibits zero temperature coefficient.
Eg: V1 and V2 have opposite temperature dependence, choose the coefficients c1 and c2 in such a way that:

Vref = c1V1 + c 2 V2
Vref V1 V2 =c1 + c2 =0 T T T

V1 T < 0 : NTC if c1 , c 2 > 0 V2 > 0 : PTC T

Thus, the reference voltage Vref exhibits zero temperature coefficient.

Bandgap Voltage Reference

Target: A fixed dc reference voltage that does not change with temperature.
Useful in circuits that require a stable reference voltage. E.g. ADC

The characteristics of BJT have proven the most welldefined quantities providing positive and negative TC

kT/q has a positive temperature coefficient

"PTAT" proportional to absolute temperature

VBE of a BJT decreases with temperature

"CTAT" complementary to absolute temperature

Can combine PTAT + CTAT to yield an approximately zero TC voltage reference

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Thermal behavior of BJT

I CQ

Q VBEQ

VBE IC = IS exp VT
VBE = I KT ln( C ) q IS

Even though KT/q increases with temperature, VBE decreases because IS itself strongly depends on temperature Assuming both I0 and IC are constant over T:

I0 is a device parameter, which also depends on temperature We'll ignore this for now VG0 is the bandgap voltage of silicon "extrapolated to 0 K"
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Extrapolated Bandgap

[Pierret, Advanced Semiconductor Fundamentals, p.85]

PTAT Generator
Amplifying the difference in VBE of two BJTs Different VBE voltages can be obtained by:
Vcc I CQ1 Vcc

PTAT term

Applying different ICQ Using two BJTs with different emitter areas but equal ICQ
I CQ2

Q1 VBE1 VBE2

Q2

VBE = VBE1 - VBE2 = if I CQ1 I CQ2 >1

KT I CQ1 ln( ) q I CQ2

VBE >0 T

VBEQ1 =

I I KT KT ln( CQ ) , VBEQ2 = ln( CQ ) q A q mA

VBEQ = VBEQ1 - VBEQ2 =

KT ln(m) q
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Bandgap Voltage Reference

Generate an inverse PTAT and a PTAT and sum them appropriately. VBE is inverse PTAT at roughly -2.2 mV/C at room temperature Vt = kT/q is PTAT that has a temperature coefficient of +0.085 mV/C at room temperature. Multiply Vt by a constant M and summed with the VBE to get VREF = VBE + MVt

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Bandgap Voltage Reference

Combining VBE and an appropriately scaled version of kT/q produces a temperature independent voltage, equal to VG0

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PTAT Generator
How do we generate a voltage that is the difference of two VBE?
VBE1 = I I KT KT ln( CQ ) , VBE2 = ln( CQ ) q A q mA

VR1 = VBE = VBE1 -VBE2 =

VR1 Vt I R1 = ln(m) = R1 R1 VR2 = 2R 2 I R1 =

KT ln(m) q
IR1 IR1 + VR1 -

2R 2 Vt ln(m) R1

VR2 2R 2 K ln(m) > 0 ; PTC! = R1 q T

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Bandgap Voltage Reference

More to come!
VBG = VBE1 + VR2

VBE1 <0 T (NTC)

VR2 >0 T (PTC)

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Supply Insensitive Current Source

How can we generate the bias currents ICQ?
Conventional current mirror: Current is essentially proportional to VDD E.g. if VDD varies by X%, bias current will roughly vary by the same amount. Supply insensitive current source:

By using a sufficiently large device, we can make VOV << Vt, and achieve:

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Supply Insensitive Current Source

In the above discussed bias generator circuits, the supply sensitivity is still fairly high, because IIN is essentially directly proportional to VDD Idea: Mirror output current back to input instead of using supply dependent input current!

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Start-up Circuit
(weak)

There exists a stable operating point with all currents =0 Can use a simple start-up circuit to solve this problem

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PTAT Current Generation

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Compatibility with CMOS Technology

In CMOS technologies, where the independent bipolar transistors are not available, parasitic bipolar transistors are used. Realization of PTAT voltage from the difference of the source-gate voltages of two MOS transistors biased in weak inversion is also reported in the literature.

"parasitic" substrate PNP transistor available in any CMOS technology

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CMOS Bandgap Reference With Substrate PNP BJTs

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Design example
Specifications:
Vsupply: 5V, 0.5um CMOS process Vref : 1.2V

Temperature dependence: < 60ppm/C

VX = VY , R1 = R 2 , A EQ2 = nA EQ1 JC 2 1 = ; Vout = VEB 2 + VR 2 + VR 3 ; J C1 n VR 3 R2 = VT ln(n) R3 R3
R Vout = VBE 2 + (VT ln n ) 1 + 2 R3

VR 3 = VEB1 VEB 2 = VEB = VT ln(n) VR 2 = R2 I R 2 = R2

R Vout = VEB 2 + 1 + 2 VT ln(n) R3

A critical point: DC output of Op Amp should be > 700mV for start up

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Choice of n
Usually make n=integer2-1, e.g. n=8 Layout:

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Simulations Result

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A Low-Supply-Voltage CMOS Sub-Bandgap Reference

Low supply voltage No resistor or op-amp is used, thus it is compatible with digital processes

Ref: A. Becker-Gomez, T. L. Viswanathan, T.R. Viswanathan, "A Low-SupplyVoltage CMOS Sub-Bandgap Reference," IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs, vol.55, no.7, pp.609-613, July 2008

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A Low-Supply-Voltage CMOS Sub-Bandgap Reference

I I V PTAT = V BE1 V BE2 = V T ln C1 02 I I C2 01 = V T ln (100 ) = 4.6V T

V PTAT = V SG1 V SG2 = I/k Ai I/nk I=

(1

2 kV PTAT

Ai /n

V BG V BE2 = V SG6 V SG2 = mI/rk Ai I/nk V BG = V BE2 + V PTAT m/r Ai /n 1 Ai /n V BE2 + m/rV PTAT

r is the ratio between M6/M1 m is the ratio between M5/M1

For Ai <<1, n>>1

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Summary
How to Build a Bandgap.1. Generate two currents and dump into the transistors 2. Add a mechanism to force Vo1 = Vo2 3. Add a scale factor to generate zero TC output 4. Startup circuit, some tweaking Done!!!

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References
First bandgap voltage reference: R. J. Widlar, "New developments in IC voltage regulators," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, pp. 2-7, Feb. 1971. A classic implementation: A. P. Brokaw, "A simple three-terminal IC bandgap reference, IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, pp. 388-393, Dec. 1974. Design of Analog Integrated Circuits, Behzad Razavi Analysis and Design of Analog Integrated Circuits, P.R. Gray, P. Hurst

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