Bandgap Voltage Reference Achieves High Performance At Low Supply Voltages

by Sándor Petényi, STMicroelectronics, Prague, Czech Republic; Calogero Ribellino and Giuseppina Bille, STMicroelectronics, Catania, Italy , How2Power Today, Dec 15 2014

Focus:
This article presents a practical chip-level design for a precise bandgap voltage reference circuit built in 0.35-µm BCD technology. This circuit’s excellent electrical performance is achieved by application of an optimized bandgap core, base- current compensation and a feedback-mode bias current generator. The bandgap core works in shunt-mode operation so all sensitive circuits are supplied by the regulated bandgap voltage level. This circuit is distinguished by its ability to generate a regulated bandgap voltage from a supply just 10 mV above the natural bandgap level while still providing high levels of precision, regulation, and supply voltage rejection. As a result, this voltage reference offers high performance at low supply voltages such as those encountered in battery-powered applications. After reviewing characteristics of bandgap references, the article provides a block-level description of how the new bandgap reference operates. More details follow on the bandgap core circuit, base current compensation, bias-current regulator, start-up circuit, and layout. Finally, results of simulation and measurements on actual silicon are presented.

What you’ll learn:

• How to design a high-performance bandgap voltage reference that operates at low supply voltages

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