Patent ID: 8093881

Claim:
A reference voltage generation circuit which generates a reference voltage, the circuit comprising: a voltage generation circuit including a first rectifying element, a first resistance element coupled between the first rectifying element and an output node at which the reference voltage is generated, a second rectifying element, and second and third resistance elements coupled in series between the second rectifying element and the output node; a differential amplifier configured to output a control voltage corresponding to a difference between a first voltage generated at a connection point of the first rectifying element and the first resistance element and a second voltage generated at a connection point of the second resistance element and the third resistance element; a control circuit configured to supply a control current corresponding to the control voltage from the differential amplifier to the output node; and a start-up circuit configured to cause, by supplying a start-up current to the differential circuit in response to supply of a power supply voltage, a transition from a first stable state where the reference voltage is stabilized at a voltage level lower than a desired voltage level to a second stable state where the reference voltage is stabilized at the desired voltage level, wherein the start-up circuit includes a current source provided on a reference current path from a power supply node to which the power supply voltage is supplied to a ground node, and a current mirror circuit configured to generate a current corresponding to a reference current generated on the reference current path on an output current path through which the start-up current is to the differential amplifier.