Integrated Voltage Reference Generator for GaN Smart Power Chip Technology

GaN smart power chip technology has been realized using a GaN-on-Si HEMT platform, featuring monolithically integrated high-voltage power devices and low-voltage peripheral devices for mixed-signal functional blocks. In particular, this brief presents the imperative analog functional block-voltage reference generator for smart power applications with wide-temperature-range stability. The circuit is capable of proper functions within a wide temperature range from room temperature up to 250°C , illustrating the unique advantage of the wide-bandgap GaN in high-temperature operation. The voltage reference generator was designed with an AlGaN/GaN HEMT and Schottky diodes, and the devices were operated in the subthreshold regime to obtain low power consumption. The voltage reference generator achieved an average drift of less than 0.5 mV/°C and can be used as a reference voltage in various biasing and sensing circuits.