US Patent 7872455 Low-power voltage reference

Patent 7872455 was granted and assigned to Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. on January, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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Is a

Patent

Patent attributes

Current Assignee

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.

Patent Jurisdiction

United States Patent and Trademark Office

Patent Number

7872455

Date of Patent

January 18, 2011

Patent Application Number

12483015

Date Filed

June 11, 2009

Patent Primary Examiner

‌

Bao Q. Vu

Patent abstract

A circuit provides a voltage reference using very low power. It can also be used as a shut regulator for a quiescent current as low as 1.5 μA. It includes a transconductance amplifier, a gain stage, and a power transistor. One embodiment of this invention utilizes a work function difference between p+ gate and n+ gate to generate a predetermined reference voltage. In another embodiment of this invention, the predetermined reference voltage can be pre-adjusted using gate materials with different work functions.