Extremely low supply voltage circuits based on quasi-floating gate supply voltage boosting

Abstract

A simple scheme to boost the supply voltage above and below the supply rails is introduced. Three applications of this technique are discussed: a) a rail-to-rail sample and hold circuit operating from a single supply voltage close to a transistor's threshold voltage; b) a low-voltage rail-to-rail switch for high precision applications; c) a NAND gate capable of operating with a single supply voltage close to one half of a transistor's threshold voltage. Experimental results from prototypes in 1.5 /spl mu/m CMOS technology are shown that verify the proposed approach.