VOLTAGE AMPLIFYING SOURCE FOLLOWER CIRCUIT

Abstract

A voltage amplifying source follower circuit provides an output gain characteristic greater than unity with low overall noise. The circuit typically comprises a source follower FET with additional FETs to sense the output voltage and change the load current in a direction opposite to a change in the input voltage. In response to an input voltage change, the load current is varied by the source follower circuit so that the corresponding output voltage change is amplified beyond that of the input voltage change. By varying the load current in a direction opposite to the effect of a load resistance, the source follower gain is increased to greater than unity. When the input voltage increases, the output voltage increases even more because the load current is decreased correspondingly. The compact amplifying circuit can be fabricated on an integrated circuit chip outside critical unit cell areas of a focal plane array.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Inventor

• 1SHY-SHIUN CHERN