Patent ID: 6339319
Filing Date: 2002-01-15
Classification: G05F

Abstract:
A semiconductor current source, comprising:at least two semiconductor devices, having first and second current conducting electrodes and a control electrode, connected together in a current mirror circuit configuration wherein the control electrodes thereof are commonly connected together, the first current conducting electrodes being directly connected to a first supply voltage terminal and the second current conducting electrodes being connected to a second supply voltage terminal through respective electrical impedance elements for providing a reference or input current through one of said semiconductor devices and an output current through the other of said semiconductor devices and wherein the reference or input current and the output current mirror each other and have a constant ratio; a third and a fourth semiconductor device, each having first and second current conducting electrodes and a control electrode, connected between said at least two semiconductor devices to improve the voltage compliance thereof, wherein the control electrode of the third semiconductor device is connected to the second current conducting electrode of said one semiconductor device, one of said first and second current conducting electrodes of the third semiconductor device is directly connected to the first supply voltage terminal, and the other of said first and second current conducting electrodes of said third semiconductor device is connected to the second supply voltage terminal through a load impedance and directly to the control electrode of the fourth semiconductor device, and wherein one of said first and second current conducting electrodes of the fourth semiconductor device is directly connected to the second supply voltage terminal and the other of said first and second current conducting electrodes of the fourth semiconductor device is connected to the first supply voltage terminal through a load impedance and directly to the control electrodes of said at least two semiconductor devices.