Current steering circuits and methods with reduced capacitive effects

Abstract

Capacitance compensation techniques are used to reduce capacitive effects that impact on the performance of current steering circuits (FIG. 1). In an isolation technique (FIGS. 2a-2e), a resistor (R) or a diode (D) is coupled to a data-switched transistor to dampen voltage perturbations associated with the gate-to-source capacitance. In a design variable technique FIGS. 3a-3d), a transistor (PDV) is included in either the output or ground legs of the current steering circuit to provide a design variable to counteract the capacitive effects of the associated data-switched (PDX/NDX) or voltage-controlled (PREF) transistor. In a bipolar substitution technique (FIG. 4), a data-switched bipolar transistor (QDX) is substituted for the data-switched MOS transistor, and made sufficiently small to significantly reduce junction capacitance. In addition, capacitive effects can be reduced by introducing fabrication alterations (FIGS. 5a-5b), such as fabrication layouts in which the source contact is made within a U-shaped gate (FIG. 5a), and in which moat perimeter is contoured (FIG. 5b) for minimal gate area consistent with standard gate/contact spacing requirements.