ROHM has filed a patent for a semiconductor device that includes a comparison stage for performing a comparison operation between an input signal and a reference signal. The device comprises two input circuits, each consisting of a signal transistor and a reference transistor connected in parallel. The patent aims to improve the performance of semiconductor devices in terms of signal processing and comparison operations. GlobalData’s report on ROHM gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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Semiconductor device with comparison stage for input and reference signals
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230318583A1) describes a semiconductor device with specific features and capabilities. The device includes a first input for an input signal and a second input for a reference signal. It also includes a comparison stage that performs a comparison operation based on the input and reference signals.
The comparison stage consists of a current source connected to a first potential and two current path parts connected between the current source and a second potential. These current path parts include input circuits and load circuits. The first input circuit includes a first signal transistor and a first reference transistor connected in parallel, while the second input circuit includes a second signal transistor and a second reference transistor connected in parallel. This configuration allows the input signal to be input to the signal transistors and the reference signal to be input to the reference transistors.
Claim 2 specifies that the size of the first reference transistor is smaller than the size of the second reference transistor, and the size of the second signal transistor is smaller than the size of the first signal transistor. This size difference may have implications for the performance of the device.
Claims 5 and 6 state that the response speed of the comparison operation is slow when the input signal is a small-amplitude input voltage. This suggests that the device may have limitations in terms of its response time under certain conditions.
Claims 7 and 8 mention that the load circuits are provided by a current mirror circuit. This indicates that the device utilizes a specific circuit configuration for the load circuits.
Claims 13 and 14 introduce a reference voltage source that generates the reference signal, while claims 15 and 16 mention a voltage source circuit that supplies a voltage to the current source. These additional components contribute to the overall functionality of the semiconductor device.
Finally, claims 17 and 18 describe an output stage that receives inputs from the voltage source circuit and the comparison stage and outputs an output signal based on the output of the comparison stage. This output stage is responsible for generating the final output signal of the device.
In summary, the filed patent describes a semiconductor device with specific input, comparison, and output stages. It includes various components such as transistors, load circuits, voltage sources, and a reference voltage source. The device's performance may be influenced by the size of certain transistors and the amplitude of the input signal.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
