Patent ID: 7920015

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a first voltage rail; a second voltage rail; a current generator that provides at least one of a first current that is proportional to absolute temperature, a second current that is complementary to absolute temperature, and a third current that is generally constant, wherein the current generator has a first stage and a second stage, wherein the first stage includes: a first bipolar transistor that is coupled to the first voltage rail at its base and its collector; a second bipolar transistor that is coupled to the first voltage rail at its base and its collector; a first resistor that is coupled to the emitter of the first bipolar transistor; a first current mirror having a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, wherein the first and second terminals of the first current mirror are coupled to the first resistor and the emitter of the second transistor, respectively; and a second current mirror having a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, wherein the first and second terminals of the second current mirror are coupled to the third and fourth terminals of the first current mirror, and wherein the third and fourth terminals of the second current mirror are coupled to the second voltage rail; and wherein the second stage includes: a second resistor that is coupled to the first voltage rail; a first MOS transistor that is coupled to the second resistor at its source and that is coupled to the fourth terminal of the first current mirror at its gate; and a second MOS transistor that is coupled to the drain of the first MOS transistor at its drain and that is coupled to the third terminal of the first current mirror at its gate; and an output stage that is coupled to the current generator so as to generate at least one of a first voltage that is generally constant, a second voltage that is proportional to absolute temperature, and a third voltage that is complementary to absolute temperature from at least one of the first current, the second current, and the third current.