Patent Description:
A digital amplifier may include an integrated power audio amplifier with feedback behind the inductor-Capacitor-filter (LC-filter) where the output is converted from analog to digital such that the signal processing such as amplification and feedback control may be done in the digital domain.

Audio amplifiers and systems are known for large voltage swings as audio volumes and amplitudes go up and down with the audio signal. Similarly, audio listeners may frequently and easily detect distorted or poor audio variations when sound is not reproduced very accurately.

<CIT> discloses a device to eliminate the substrate voltage dependencies of respective resistance values of resistor elements wherein the resistor elements are coupled in series to each other over respective substrate regions. <CIT> discloses a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a bleeder resistance circuit in which the resistance value does not fluctuate in response to the stress applied thereto.

A brief summary of various exemplary embodiments is presented. Some simplifications and omissions may be made in the following summary, which is intended to highlight and introduce some aspects of the various exemplary embodiments, but not to limit the scope of the embodiments. Detailed descriptions of a preferred exemplary embodiment adequate to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the inventive concepts will follow in later sections.

The present invention concerns a resistor according to claim <NUM>.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used to designate elements having substantially the same or similar structure or substantially the same or similar function.

The description and drawings merely illustrate the principles of certain embodiments. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the idea and are included within its scope. Furthermore, all examples recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of certain embodiments and the concepts contributed by the inventor(s) to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Additionally, the term, "or," as used herein, refers to a non-exclusive or (i.e., and/or), unless otherwise indicated (e.g., "or else" or "or in the alternative"). As used herein, the terms "context" and "context object" will be understood to be synonymous, unless otherwise indicated.

Embodiments may include a resistor that may be used in audio conversion for an ADC. The resistor may be made up of a poly resistor on n-well as well as a poly resistor on p-well polysilicon layers in a semiconductor device. Resistors with the n-well and p-well polysilicon layers may include a shallow trench isolator. The poly resistor on n-well and poly resistors on p-well components may be in series with other poly resistors on n-well or poly resistor on p-well components respectively. Similarly, multiple poly resistor on n-well components which are in series, may be in parallel with multiple poly resistor on p-well components. All such devices may be part of a single integrated circuit (IC).

Ultra linear resistors which can cope with 40V may be used for the analog-to-digital conversion by means of a sigma delta conversion in an audio amplifier with an output up to 40V. Embodiments of such a resistor are disclosed.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary digital amplifier circuit <NUM>. Digital amplifier circuit <NUM> may include, low-latency analog-to-digital converter (LL-ADC) <NUM>, conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM>, error subtraction point <NUM>, inverse LC-filter (LC compensation)<NUM>, filter <NUM>, pulse-width-modulators (PWM) <NUM>, <NUM>, and power stages, <NUM>, <NUM>.

Exemplary digital amplifier circuit <NUM> may be any kind of digital amplifier circuit, including a sound system, or a video system. In one example, exemplary digital amplifier circuit <NUM> may be a standalone sound system in a home, and in another example, exemplary digital amplifier circuit <NUM> may be an integrated sound system in a car.

The LL-ADC <NUM> along with conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may make a subsystem within digital amplifier circuit <NUM>. The LL-ADC <NUM> along with conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may determine the noise in the system. Similarly, LL-ADC <NUM> along with conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may determine output offset and/or the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the digital amplifier circuit <NUM>.

The LL-ADC <NUM> may include a tracking type ADC. LL-ADC <NUM> may deliver current into conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> such that the virtual ground may stay at a reference voltage. For example, the reference voltage may be <NUM>. 8V or <NUM>. The current, therefore, may be a measure of the voltage at the amplifier output. The LL-ADC <NUM> may be configured using low voltage components such as, less than <NUM>. 8V, for example, in consideration of area efficiency.

Conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may be used for level shifting a high voltage output of the amplifier to a low voltage of the LL-ADC <NUM>. For example, conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may include output voltage shifts from 6V to 40V. Similarly, LL-ADC <NUM> may include output voltages less than <NUM>.

The LL-ADC's <NUM> tracking current may be derived from a reference voltage over a reference resistor. The gain of the digital amplifier may be defined by, for example: <MAT>.

Mismatch between conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may lead to an output offset of the digital amplifier. Non linearity of conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may lead to harmonic distortion.

Non-linearity may not be able to be compensated by using a reference resistor regardless of whether the reference resistor is the same type, orientation, and has the same environment and temperature. Voltage swings, such as a 40V audio swing, on conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may vary with the signal itself, while the reference resistor may be biased at a fixed and low voltage.

A cause of non linearity of conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may include, voltage dependence of the resistance. Another cause of non linearity of conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may be self heating of the conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM>. Similarly, another cause of non linearity of conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> may include signal dependant temperature differences between the conversion resistor, <NUM>, <NUM> and reference resistor.

Digital amplifier circuit <NUM> may prefer a THD of more than 100dB. Similarly, digital amplifier circuit <NUM> may desire voltages over the conversion resistors <NUM>, <NUM> with a maximum of 40V. Therefore, a resistor is desirable that lacks non-linearity, matching problems, self heating, temperature variation due to powerstages, substrate noise disturbance and voltage breakdowns. A resistor with ultra high linearity, high voltage capability, good matching characteristics and a low temperature coefficient increases the performance of the digital amplifier circuit <NUM>. External resistors may increase costs for such a circuit as digital amplifier circuit <NUM>, for example.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary resistor <NUM>. Exemplary resistor <NUM> may include n-well <NUM>, P+ contact point <NUM>, N+ contact point <NUM>, p-sub area <NUM>, stacked n-well resistor <NUM>, stacked n-well resistor <NUM>, contact A <NUM>, contact C <NUM>, depletion region <NUM> and p-sub <NUM>.

In exemplary stacked n-well resistor <NUM> a n-well <NUM> may be in polysilicon substrate p-sub area <NUM>. Stacked n-well resistor <NUM> may have two contacts, <NUM> A and <NUM> C respectively. Contact A <NUM> may also be connected to the p-sub area <NUM>. When a voltage is applied to contact C <NUM>, a depletion region may be formed as indicated by depletion region <NUM>. The depletion region <NUM> effectively may make the n-well <NUM> less deep and thereby more highly resistive. The resistance may be dependent on the applied voltage over the resistor. P+ contact point <NUM> may connect contact A <NUM> to p-sub area <NUM>. Similarly, N+ contact point <NUM> may connect contact A <NUM> to n-well <NUM>. Stacked n-well resistor <NUM> may be similar to stacked n-well resistor <NUM>.

In some embodiments, a stacked n-well resistor <NUM> may include separate resistors on different substrates. P-sub <NUM> and p-sub <NUM> may be biased at the taps between the stacked n-well resistors <NUM>, <NUM>. This may reduce the voltage swing over the individual resistors, which may reduce voltage dependency.

<FIG> includes a cross section of a poly resistor on n-well and a poly resistor on p-well that may be used in certain embodiments. The resistor structure may include two stacks <NUM>, <NUM> of poly resistors each on a shallow trench isolator (STI). One stack <NUM> may have a poly resistor on n-well under the STI. The poly resistor on n-wells of stack <NUM> may be biased at a positive voltage compared to the average voltage over the resistor stack. The other stack <NUM> may have poly resistor on p-well under the STI. The poly resistor on p-wells under stack <NUM> may be biased at a negative voltage compared to the average voltage over the resistor stack.

<FIG> illustrates exemplary resistance values <NUM>. Exemplary resistance values <NUM>, demonstrates resistor values as a function of the applied voltage over the resistor for various resistors in the used IC technology. Exemplary resistance values <NUM> demonstrates that poly resistors tend to be the most linear resistors. The IC technology in which embodiments may be applied, include for example a <NUM> CMOS process completed with high voltage high power transistors on a SiO2 isolated substrate (SOI). Some of the poly-resistors in this technology may be the most linear resistors available.

Two poly resistor structures may be available in the process such as n-well <NUM> and p-well <NUM>. Both may be on top of a shallow trench isolator (STI) and thus are galvanic separated from the substrate/well below. Both resistors may have small voltage dependence.

The maximum allowable voltage between the poly resistor and the well beneath may be 17V above which, there may be be voltage breakdown through an STI. A stack of three resistors may cope with the 40V input voltage of the converter, or output voltage of the digital amplifier. The three wells may be isolated from each other by applying sufficient lateral spacing in combination with deep trench isolation. By stacking three resistors in series the max allowable voltage may be tripled compared to a single resistor.

In a simulated resistor test using three resistors in series, a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of -86dB was achieved, far below the desired 100dB. The used device models were confirmed to model non-linearity. Results were for a poly resistor on n-well alone such as stack <NUM>. Poly resistor on p-well, such as stack <NUM> performs the same. Further simulations demonstrated that <NUM> stacked resistors change the THD by only 4dB. More than <NUM> stacked resistors result in 100dB THD performance.

The stack of poly resistor on n-well resistors where the n-wells are biased by the voltage at the top of the individual resistors may have a small but not neglectable voltage coefficient. Each resistor in this stack may have a n-well potential which is positive compared to the average potential of the poly resistor itself. Vn-well-poly is positive. Through accumulation, such as for example more electrons in the poly, the resistance of the poly in the resistor may be reduced slightly. This reduction of the resistance may be dependent on Vn-well-poly and thus in the end may be dependent on the applied voltage over the stack. The poly resistor on n-well may have a negative voltage coefficient.

For the poly resistor on p-well a similar effect may take place. The bias of the p-well may be chosen negative as compared to the average potential of the poly resistor on top. This may be done by connecting the p-well to the bottom of the individual resistors in the stack. Vp-well-poly may be negative, which may cause depletion, or fewer electrons in the poly which may result in an increase of the poly resistance. The poly resistor on p-well may have a positive voltage coefficient.

Because both resistor types may be of the same poly-silicon, such as using the same doping, for example, and may be on the same STI layer, their voltage dependency may be equal except for the sign. A parallel circuit of two stacks of both types with the above described well biasing, may cancel the residual voltage dependency. The voltage coefficient may be equal to zero.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a linear high voltage resistor <NUM>. An embodiment of a linear high voltage resistor's structure may include: <NUM> resistors, or <NUM> strings of resistors in parallel. The number of resistors in each string may be one, two, three etc. In an exemplary embodiment of a linear high voltage resistor <NUM> a stack of three is used. Both strings may be made of poly resistors on top of STI with one string, for example, with poly resistor on n-well under the STI and the other string with poly resistor on p-well under the STI. The poly resistor on n-wells may be biased by the voltage on the top of the individual resistors. The poly resistor on p-well's may similarly be biased by the voltage at the bottom of the individual resistor. The result of a circuit simulation using compact models showed the change in THD, -100dB and -102dB was achieved.

This cancelling of the voltage coefficient was verified with measurements on existing silicon. In this silicon, there was access to both resistor terminals, as well the n-well or p-well beneath the resistor.

<FIG> illustrates measured resistance versus voltage for an embodiment of the linear high voltage resistor graph <NUM>. Graph <NUM> demonstrates the normalized resistance versus the applied voltage over the resistor both for measured data as well the result of circuit simulations using a compact model. Also in measurements the voltage dependency of both type resistors with the appropriate well-biasing may cancel each other. This cancelling may be proven for voltages over a single resistor up to 25V. The Graph <NUM> also shows that the models are a bit too optimistic underlining the desire for some embodiments.

The resistors have some matching recommendations as well. The amplifier output voltage offset recommendation is Voffs <<NUM>. 5mV (1σ) when the DC output voltage is <NUM>.

The σΔR/R may be dependent on the active area of the resistor and some constants belonging to the particular IC-technology.

Since the resistance may be a given, the W/L ratio may be fixed. The offset voltage may be expressed as a function of the Width of the resistor. A plot of this equation indicates a width of the resistor that is at least <NUM> to satisfy the offset recommendation. Some embodiments may use <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> etc. With a structure of parallel resistor strings on top of apoly resistor on n-well and a poly resistor on p-well both strings may have a minium width of <NUM>. The area of the complete solution may be dominated by the matching requirement. The extra spacing between the two resistor strings may only mildy increase the area for the complete resistor structure.

Under a self-heating effect, a change in resistance due to the heating up of the resistor may be caused by dissipation in the resistor from the current through, and/or the voltage over the resistor. This may be due to the temperature coefficient of the resistor. Self
heating may spoil the linearity of a resistor. The poly resistor may be thermally isolated from the bulk of the IC by the STI.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary resistor using a first order thermal model <NUM>. A first order thermal model may be used to determinate the increase of temperature in the poly as result of dissipation in the poly. The temperature change, ΔT, is defined as: <MAT> <MAT> where P is a constant associated with the poly, Z is thermal conductivity of SiO2, K is the distance between n+ polysilicon and the p-well, W is the width of the resistor, L is the length of the n+ polysilicon.

The temperature rise may depend on W and L of resistor. An increase of the area of the resistor may reduce the self-heating effect. For example, if
W=<NUM>, <MAT> <MAT> then this temperature increase leads to a change in resistance, ΔR, via the temperature coefficient of the poly, TC1, as follows: <MAT> <MAT> <MAT>.

The resistors with, for example, W=<NUM>, are already large enough not to suffer too much from the self heating effect.

Claim 1:
A resistor (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprising:
a poly resistor (<NUM>) on n-well, the poly resistor being electrically isolated from the n-well by a first shallow trench isolator, wherein the poly-resistor on n-well comprises a top contact and a bottom contact, the top contact for receiving a first voltage, the bottom contact for receiving a second voltage and wherein the first voltage is positive relative to the second voltage, wherein the n-well is electrically connected to the top contact such that the connection of the n-well is biased at a positive voltage compared to a voltage over the resistor when the top contact and the bottom contact receive the first voltage and the second voltage respectively; and
a poly resistor (<NUM>) on p-well, the poly resistor being electrically isolated from the p-well by a second shallow trench isolator, wherein the poly-resistor on p-well comprises a top contact and a bottom contact, the top contact for receiving the first voltage, the bottom contact for receiving the second voltage, wherein the p-well is electrically connected to the bottom contact such that the connection of the p-well is biased at a negative voltage compared to the voltage over the resistor when the top contact and the bottom contact receive the first voltage and the second voltage, respectively;
wherein the poly resistor on n-well and the poly resistor on p-well are coupled in parallel.