A first transistor and a second transistor have control terminals coupled to each other. A current mirror circuit supplies a current having the same amount as that of a current I.sub.ref flowing through a first path including the second transistor to a second path including the first transistor and supplies a current having a predetermined number of times m of a current amount of the current I.sub.ref of the first path to a third path separate from the second path. The third transistor and a fourth transistor are provided on the third path. The third transistor has a source coupled to one end of the first transistor, and the fourth transistor has a gate coupled to a gate of the third transistor. A resistor is provided between a source of the fourth transistor and one end of the second transistor.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor device comprising a first differential amplifier circuit. The first differential amplifier circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, and a sixth transistor. The second transistor's gate and drain are connected to the first transistor. The third transistor is diode-connected through the first transistor or diode-connected without passing through the first transistor. The fourth transistor is diode-connected through the second transistor or diode-connected without passing through the second transistor. The fifth transistor forms a first current mirror circuit with the third transistor. The sixth transistor is connected to a drain of the first transistor in parallel with the third transistor and forms a second current mirror circuit with the fifth transistor.

A method for initializing a phase adder circuit including a multiplier circuit with its two inputs receiving signals of frequency f.sub.o, a mixer circuit, an amplifier circuit, a low pass loop filter, and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), the method including: during a first phase, determining a reference voltage which when applied to the VCO causes it to produce a signal having a frequency of nf.sub.0; during a second phase, supplying a signal of frequency nf.sub.o to a first input of the mixer and a signal of frequency (nf.sub.o+f) to a second input of the mixer; and determining an adjustment signal which when applied to the amplifier circuit causes the amplifier circuit to output a signal having a DC component equal to the reference voltage; and during a third phase, forming a primary phase locked loop (PLL) circuit including the mixer, the amplifier circuit, the low pass loop filter and the VCO; and applying the adjustment signal to the amplifier circuit.

A half-power buffer amplifier includes an amplification unit including first and second nodes, the amplification unit configured to differentially amplify a differential input signal and to output a differentially amplified output signal, a first output unit including a first buffer unit between a first power source having a first voltage and a second power source having a second voltage, a second buffer unit between the first and second power sources, and a first switch unit between the first and second buffer units, and a second output unit including a third buffer unit between the second power source and a third power source having a third voltage, a fourth buffer unit between the second and third power sources, and a second switch unit between the third and fourth buffer units. Each of the first to third buffer units receives the differentially amplified output signal. The first switch unit is turned on or off based on or in response to a pre-driving control signal.

An operational amplifier circuit is provided. The operational amplifier circuit includes a differential input stage circuit and a loading stage circuit. The differential input stage circuit includes an input circuit, a voltage maintaining circuit, and a current source. The input circuit includes a first input transistor and a second input transistor, for receiving a first and a second input signals, respectively. The voltage maintaining circuit includes a first branch circuit and a second branch circuit. The first branch circuit is coupled to the first input transistor for receiving the first input signal, and the second branch circuit is coupled to the second input transistor for receiving the second input signal. The current source is coupled to the first input transistor and the second input transistor. The loading stage circuit is coupled to the voltage maintaining circuit.

Provided is an output amplifier including a differential unit which sends a current corresponding to a voltage difference between a gradation voltage and an amplified gradation voltage to a first current line; a current mirror unit which sends an amount of current corresponding to the current flowing through the first current line, to a second current line; and an output unit including a first and a second drive line, an output line through which the amplified gradation voltage is output, a first output transistor which sends a current based on a voltage of the first drive line, and a second output transistor which sends a current based on a voltage of the second drive line. The output unit includes a voltage regulation circuit which controls the voltage of the first drive line being higher than the voltage of the second drive line.

A buffer amplifier configured to perform voltage switching (DC bias voltage switching). The buffer amplifier includes first and second amplification blocks corresponding to first and second channels, respectively, first and second output buffer units controlled by output levels of the first and second amplification blocks, and a switch unit configured to connect or disconnect the first or second amplification block to or from the first or second output buffer unit. The switch unit includes a first switch unit configured to connect or disconnect one of the first and second amplification blocks to or from the first output buffer unit based on or in response to a control signal and a second switch unit configured to connect or disconnect another one of the first and second amplification blocks to or from the second output buffer unit based on or in response to the control signal.

A technique for receiving a DC or low frequency input signal using a chopper-stabilized amplifier includes chopping an input signal using a chopper clock signal to generate a chopped input signal. The input signal has a first voltage range and the chopper clock signal has a second voltage range. The chopper clock signal has peak-to-peak voltage over a period of the chopper clock signal. The peak-to-peak voltage is less than the first voltage range and is less than the second voltage range. A frequency of the input signal is at least an order of magnitude less than a frequency of the chopper clock signal. The second voltage range may be greater than or equal to the first voltage range. The technique may include generating a bias signal based on a voltage reference signal and an output signal having the first voltage range.

The present invention provides a class AB amplifier, wherein the class AB amplifier includes a cascode stage with a filter and an output stage. The cascode stage with the filter is arranged for receiving an input signal to generate a first driving signal and a second driving signal, wherein the filter filters the input signal to generate an filtered input signal, and at least one of the first driving signal and the second driving signal is generated according to the filtered input signal. The output stage is coupled to the cascode stage, and is arranged for generating an output signal according to the first driving signal and the second driving signal.

A first transistor and a second transistor have control terminals coupled to each other. A current mirror circuit supplies a current having the same amount as that of a current I.sub.ref flowing through a first path including the second transistor to a second path including the first transistor and supplies a current having a predetermined number of times m of a current amount of the current I.sub.ref of the first path to a third path separate from the second path. The third transistor and a fourth transistor are provided on the third path. The third transistor has a source coupled to one end of the first transistor, and the fourth transistor has a gate coupled to a gate of the third transistor. A resistor is provided between a source of the fourth transistor and one end of the second transistor.