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Review
. 2024 Dec 17;15(12):1504.
doi: 10.3390/mi15121504.

MOSFET-Based Voltage Reference Circuits in the Last Decade: A Review

Elisabetta Moisello  1 , Edoardo Bonizzoni  1 , Piero Malcovati  1
Affiliations
Review

MOSFET-Based Voltage Reference Circuits in the Last Decade: A Review

Elisabetta Moisello et al. Micromachines (Basel). .

Abstract

Voltage reference circuits are a basic building block in most integrated microsystems, covering a wide spectrum of applications. Hence, they constitute a subject of great interest for the entire microelectronics community. MOSFET-based solutions, in particular, have emerged as the implementation of choice for realizing voltage reference circuits, given the supply voltage scaling and the ever-lower power consumption specifications in various applications. For these reasons, this paper aims to review MOSFET-based voltage reference circuits, illustrating their principles of operation, as well as presenting a detailed overview of the state-of-the-art, in order to paint an accurate picture of the encountered challenges and proposed solutions found in the field in the last decade, thus providing a starting point for future research in the field.

Keywords: BJT; CMOS; MOSFET; PSR; bandgap; line sensitivity; low power; low voltage; microelectronics; temperature coefficient; temperature compensation; voltage reference.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of a standard current-mode bandgap reference circuit.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic representation of a bandgap-like MOSFET-based reference circuit.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic representation of a generic threshold voltage-based MOSFET reference circuit.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Graphical representation of a transistor ZTC point.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic representation of a self-cascode MOSFET (SCM).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Schematic representation of a few 2T voltage reference topologies: (a) employs thin-oxide and native devices, (b) uses thick-oxide and thin-oxide devices, (c) relies on same-type devices, while (d) uses NMOS and PMOS devices.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Schematic representation of a threshold voltage-based reference circuit employing body biasing.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Graphical summary of the TC of the reported works as a function of power consumption. The representation is in logarithmic scale.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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