Claims
- 1. A circuit, having an external supply voltage junction point, an internal supply voltage junction point and a voltage converter connected between said junction points for connecting to the internal supply voltage junction point an internal supply voltage which is lower than the supply voltage across the external junction point, characterized in that the voltage converter comprises means for stabilizing hot carrier stress and switching rate in other portions of said circuit by generating an internal supply voltage having a positive temperature coefficient coupled to said external supply voltage junction, said means comprising means for generating a reference voltage having a positive temperature coefficient.
- 2. A circuit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the voltage converter includes an electronic switch connected between the said junction points for periodically charging a circuit capacitance connected to the internal supply voltage junction point, said means for generating a reference voltage having a positive temperature coefficient being connected to said external supply voltage junction, and a detector circuit for switching the switch on or off in dependence on the internal supply voltage and the reference voltage, said detector circuit having an input coupled to said internal supply voltage junction and an output coupled to a control electrode of said electronic switch.
- 3. A circuit as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the means for generating a reference voltage comprises a reference current source, in which a PTAT voltage source is employed.
- 4. A circuit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the value of the temperature coefficient of the internal supply voltage is between +1.5 mV/K and +6 mV/K.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
9001493 |
Jun 1990 |
NLX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/906,014, filed Jun. 26, 1992 which is continuation of Ser. No. 07/721,048 filed Jun. 26, 1991 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
029681 |
Dec 1988 |
EPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
"A new CMOS current reference", Sansen et al., pp. 125-128 1987 Digest of the ESSCIR C. |
"Hot-carrier and wear-out phenomena is Submicron VLSI's" Eigi Takeda, Nov. 1985, Central Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd. |
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
906014 |
Jun 1992 |
|
Parent |
721048 |
Jun 1991 |
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