Patent ID: 8120388

Claim:
An analog-to-digital converter comprising a plurality of comparators, with each comparator including: a sampling capacitor having an input and an output; a first switching unit connected to the input of said sampling capacitor, said first switching unit applying an input signal to the input end of said sampling capacitor; a second switching unit connected to the input of said sampling capacitor, said second switching unit applying a reference signal to the input end of said sampling capacitor; an output transistor having a gate terminal connected to the output of said sampling capacitor in a source follower connection manner or an emitter follower connection manner, a source terminal connected to a constant current source and a drain terminal connected to ground; a third switching unit connected to the output of said sampling capacitor; and a fourth switching unit connected in series between the third switching unit and ground, the fourth switching unit being common to at least two of the plurality of comparators; wherein, the input signal is converted into digital form after each of the comparators compares the input signal with the reference signal, said third switching unit and fourth switching unit maintain a ground voltage at the output of said sampling capacitor during sampling and are selected such that a reverse current flowing through the third and fourth switching units and into the output of the capacitor is prevented, the input signal is compared with the reference signal, and said first switching unit, said second switching unit, said third switching unit and said fourth switching unit comprise transistors.