2017 International Conference on Electronic, Control, Automation and Mechanical Engineering (ECAME 2017)

ISBN: 978-1-60595-523-0

Design of a Bandgap Voltage Reference Working in Subthreshold

Region with Low Voltage, High Precision in a Wide Temperature Range
Jing-xing DAI, Fu-hua LI, Jing-hui AN, Yan ZHOU and Chen-jian WU*
School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
*Corresponding author

Keywords: Bandgap reference, Wide temperature range, Subthreshold region, Low power supply.

Abstract. In this paper, a bandgap voltage reference working with high precision in a wide
temperature range is proposed. The proposed bandgap voltage reference adopts self-biased structure
without using resistor and operational amplifier. It adopts 6 stages of the proportional to absolute
temperature circuit to increase temperature range. And it uses linearity compensation circuit to
improve the temperature coefficient. Supported by GSMC 0.13 µm technology, with 1.2V supply
voltage, the proposed bandgap voltage reference can generate a steady 66 mV reference voltage.
Within the temperature range of -100 to 145 °C, the temperature coefficient is 8.5486 ppm/°C and
the line sensitivity is 0.19245 mV/V. And the bandgap voltage reference covers a core area of
0.00396 mm2.

Introduction
The bandgap voltage reference is one of the basic components in chip and its design plays an
important role. It is widely used in various analog integrated circuits so as to produce a DC voltage
insusceptible to power supply, process and temperature [1]. Nowadays, the development of Internet
of things (IOTs) increases rapidly and the integration of chips grows increasingly higher, so design
requirements such as precision, power consumption, temperature range and area of the bandgap
voltage reference also enhances [2,3].
Generally speaking, the design of bandgap voltage reference mainly includes the proportional to
absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage generator, complementary to absolute temperature (CTAT)
voltage generator and biasing circuit. The traditional structure provides a good idea of design.
However, this circuit structure is characterized by low precision. Besides, the design of operational
amplifier that works under low voltage is difficult and this kind of operational amplifier will cause
high power consumption.
Curvature compensation can greatly improve the precision of bandgap voltage reference but in
this case the circuit design will be more complicated [4,5,6]. Besides, the design of operational
amplifier is not easy, and the problem of high power consumption still exists.
Indeed, MOS transistor that works in the subthreshold region can provide a solution to the above-
mentioned problems [7], but MOS transistor performs unsteadily in subthreshold region and new
temperature dependent process variations may occur. Ze-kun Zhou has put forward a bandgap
voltage reference which works in the subthreshold region [8]. Since NMOSFET threshold voltage
has positive temperature characteristics while PMOSFET threshold voltage has negative
temperature characteristics, one is offset by another, thus a reference voltage can be generated.
However, this kind of circuit is complex in structure because it entails two start-up circuits and the
use of resistor will enlarge the chip area. Oscar E. Mattia has proposed a self-biased bandgap
voltage reference which features simple structure, low power consumption and high precision, but it
only works in a narrow temperature range from 0 °C to 125 °C [9].
The circuit devised in the paper offers a new method in the design of bandgap voltage reference
through the use of MOS transistor that works in the subthreshold region. It comprises four parts:
PTAT voltage generator, CTAT voltage generator, current mirror circuit and linearity compensation
circuit. This kind of bandgap voltage reference is resistorless and capacitor-less and it can produce
an output reference voltage with high precision during a wide temperature range.

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 The paper is organized as follows: a detailed circuit diagram and circuit structure is introduced in
chapter two. The experimental results under GSMC 0.13 µm process are shown in chapter three and
chapter four is the conclusion part.

Proposed Bandgap Reference Circuit Design

The structure of the bandgap voltage reference is as Figure 1:
VDD

M9 M8 M10 M11 M13 M14 M15 M12 M22 M23

I8 I10 I11 I13 I14 I15 I12
I9 I22
I23

M3 M5 M7 M16 M18 M20

M24

M2 M6 M19 M21
VE M4 M17

M25

VREF
VG1
PTAT Voltage Generator

M1
CTAT Voltage Generator Linearity compensation circuit M26
Q0 Q1

Figure 1. The structure of the bandgap voltage reference.

The circuit mainly includes four parts: current mirror circuit, PTAT voltage generator, CTAT
voltage generator and linearity compensation circuit.
Current mirror circuit defines the proportional relations between branch currents. For example,
the ratio of I9 to I8, I10, I11, I13, I14 and I15 is k1, while the ratio of I12 to I8, I10, I11, I13, I14 and I15 is k2,
i.e. I8 = I10 = I11 = I13 = I14 = I15 = I9/k1 = I12/k2. The ratio of I22 to I23 is k1n, i.e. I22 = k1nI23.
As shown in Figure 1, M4 and M5 work in the subthreshold region and they constitute the
famous self-cascode structure [9]. PTAT voltage whose proportional to absolute temperature can be
adjusted is generated through the repetition of self-cascode structure.
CTAT voltage is mainly produced in the circuit which comprises BJT Q0 and transistor M1, M2,
M3, M8 and M9.
The linearity compensation circuit is shown in the right part of the circuit diagram, mainly
composed of Q1, M22, M23, M24, M25 and M26. The basic principle of the linearity compensation
circuit is similar to that of CTAT voltage generator. The linearity compensation circuit can increase
the linearity of CTAT voltage and therefore can improve the precision of output reference voltage
and broaden the working temperature range.
The analysis of this proposed BGR as follows.
A typical MOSFET model that works in the subthreshold region is well-known [9]. When
MOSFET works in the subthreshold region, the drain current is given by
VG −VT 0 − nVS VDS
−
I D = 2eI SQ Se nφt [1 − e φt ] (1)
Where e represents the Napier constant, ISQ indicates the temperature and process dependent
parameter and S refers to the aspect ratio of MOSFET, i.e. W/L. Фt is the thermal voltage, n is the
subthreshold factor, VG is the gate voltage of MOSFET and VS is the source voltage. VT0 is threshold
voltage for zero bulk-source voltage and VDS is the drain-source voltage. When VDS > 4Фt. In this
case,
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 VG −VT 0 − nVS
nφt
I D = 2eI SQ Se
(2)
PTAT voltage generator is mainly composed of self-cascode structures, such as the unit of Mup a
nd Mdown in Figure 2. NMOS in the structure operates in the subthreshold region. When the drain-
source voltage of upper NMOS is three times higher than the thermal voltage, Eq. 2 is applicable.
When the drain-source voltage of lower NMOS is three times lower than the thermal voltage, Eq.1 i
s applicable. Therefore, the drain-source voltage of the lower MOS transistor is given by

VDS = φt ln( a ) (3)

where a is a constant that is larger than 1. Obviously, the drain-source voltage is directly
proportional to temperature. After repeated addition of the drain-source voltages of lower MOS
transistors, the proportionality coefficient of PTAT voltage increases accordingly.
M1, M2 and M3 in the CTAT voltage generator all operate in the subthreshold region. The aspect
ratio of M3 is far more than that of M2 while the aspect ratio of M1 is equal to that of M2. When
BJT Q0 is shorted, it has the same function as a diode. Due to the influence of current mirror circuit,
the ratio of I9 to I8 is equal to the aspect ratio of M9 to M8. The drain-source voltage of M1 is given
by

VDS 1 = b[dφt ln(c) − VT 0 ] (4)

where b and d are constant, c is influenced by the proportional relation between the aspect ratio
of M9 and M8 and it includes a process parameter that is temperature dependent.
The linearity compensation circuit and CTAT voltage generator resemble each other in structure.
In CTAT voltage generator, the ratio of I8 to I9 is 1: k1 while in the linearity compensation circuit,
the ratio of I23 to I22 is 1: k1n. The calculation formula of drain-source voltage of M26 in linearity
compensation circuit is similar to Eq. 4. Regulate the value of k1 and k1n, make k1n > k1. Subtract
CTAT voltage from the compensation voltage and the temperature dependent process parameter in
c can be removed. Regulate the value of k1 and k1n, make c < 1, thus a CTAT voltage with high
linearity can be generated.

Experimental Results
The proposed circuit depends on GSMC 0.13 µm CMOS process. The whole area of this design is
0.040845 mm2. And testing pad accounts for a large area. The bandgap voltage reference area is
0.00396 mm2. The layout of the circuit is as Figure 3:

Mup
Sup

Mdown
Sdown

Figure 2. The self-cascode structure. Figure 3. The layout of BGR.

Within the temperature range of -100 to 145 °C, the maximum change of the output reference
voltage is 0.13981 mV and the temperature coefficient reach 8.5426 ppm/°C.

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 Figure 4. Reference voltage and temperature. Figure 5. Reference voltage and the power supply.
When the power supply changes from 1.0491 to 2 V, the maximum change of output voltage is
0.183 mV and the line sensitivity is 0.19245 mV/V.
However, there is a trade-off among temperature coefficient, temperature range and power
consumption. The power consumption of the BGR circuit is 36 µW.
Table 1. Performance and comparison.
Performance This work [4] [5] [6] [8] [9]
Technology [nm] 130 90 180 350 350 130

Temperature [°C] -100-145 10-80 -60-130 -40-180 0-130 0-125

Line sensitivity [mV/V] 0.19245 3 N/A N/A 0.185 0.9

Core size [mm2] 0.00396 0.028 0.039 0.04 0.011 0.0022

Temperature coefficient [ppm/°C] 8.5426 10.1 15 13-20 11.8 11

The performance and comparison are presented in Table 1.

Conclusion
This paper proposes a bandgap voltage reference that entails no resistor and operational amplifier
but operates in a wide temperature range with high precision. Under 1.2 V power supply, a steady
66 mV output reference voltage can be generated. Within the temperature range of -100 to 145 °C,
the temperature coefficient is 8.5426 ppm/°C and the bandgap voltage reference circuit area is
0.00396 mm2. When the power supply increases from 1.0491 V to 2 V, the line sensitivity is
0.19245 mV/V. The object of the bandgap voltage reference is to produce a reference voltage that
can operate within a wide temperature range with high precision. Since PTAT voltage is
characterized by good linearity, to improve the linearity of CTAT voltage is the core of this design.
In the paper, factors that affect the linearity of CTAT voltage are analyzed. Through the
configuration of linearity compensation circuit, temperature dependent parameter can be removed
and linearity can be improved, thus generating a bandgap voltage reference that can operate with
high precision in a wide temperature range.

Acknowledgement
This work was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of
China (No. BK20150342) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61671315).

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