Integrated-circuit structures and methods for correction of temperature and process-induced parameter errors

Abstract

Integrated-circuit structures and methods are provided for generating an error signal that represents temperature and process-induced signal changes in transistor parameters. In particular, a reference transistor and a sense transistor are biased to each generate a substantially temperature-insensitive minority-carrier current. The reference transistor is provided with a substantially constant voltage across its current terminals to convert its minority-carrier current into a substantially temperature-insensitive reference current I,. In contrast, the sense transistor is provided with a temperature-varying voltage across its current terminals to convert its minority-carrier current into a temperature-varying sense current I,. The reference current and the sense current are then differenced to realize an error signal I,that contains information that describes temperature and process-induced signal errors in integrated-circuit transistor stages. The error signal is especially useful for correcting signal errors in circuits that cannot accommodate conventional signal-stabilizing circuitry because that circuitry would degrade circuit operation.