Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Theodore E. Galant
  • Patent number: 6169456
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an auto-biased cascode current circuit capable of improved range in headroom is disclosed. In one embodiment, the current circuit includes a current mirror and a bias circuit, where the current mirror contains a reference leg and an output leg. A reference current flows within the reference leg. Included in the output leg is an output terminal, a first output transistor and a second output transistor. The output terminal operates at an output potential. The bias circuit regulates the reference leg of the current mirror such that the output potential is substantially equal to a drain-to-source saturation voltage of the first output transistor plus a drain-to-source saturation voltage of the second output transistor plus a predetermined overdrive voltage. The predetermined overdrive voltage is a design parameter which is less than a threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventor: Gregory W. Pauls