Referințe de tensiune avansate bazate pe diode Zener / Advanced Zener-based voltage references

The objective of this thesis is to improve the power-related FoM of the most stable, “State of the Art” silicon-based voltage reference, based on Zener diodes. This research covers both aspects of the Zener diodes temperature dependency: measurement-based theoretical models and the practical standpoints, in terms of architecture and circuit design, combined with physical implementation, full manufacturing flow and plastic packaged IC evaluation. In conjunction with circuit research, an original measurement-based temperature dependency numerical model for a B-Zener diodes was developed in this thesis. Based on this model an optimal correlation between simulation and silicon results was obtained. Motivated by the need to compensate the 2nd order, nonlinear term of the thermally uncompensated Zener diode native temperature variation, a novel compensation architecture with spectacular linearization improvements (orders of magnitude) was developed. The thesis presents both the means and the compensation method for 1st and 2nd order terms, associated with a Zener diode temperature dependency. Following established compensation architectures adapted and enhanced to our specific circuit needs, a cost effective, package independent, non-heated silicon-based voltage reference with a TC in low single digits ppm figures (<4 ppm/°C), over the full temperature industrial range was developed. A trimming methodology for IC packaged die, with simple, flexible & effective trimming was also developed, for both the linear and nonlinearity components, enabling to achieve the low TC imposed in the research objectives. Based on plastic packaged ICs measurements, embedded and co-packaged solutions, specific FoM of each, were analyzed and compared to established ones in literature.