
GaAs can also be used to build a reference source with larger voltage output, thanks to its wider bandgap of 1.42 eV, as demonstrated in a recent research paper. SI bandgap voltage (Silicon) references are most common, which output at ~1.2 V. What Is a Bandgap Reference Voltage?Ī bandgap reference voltage is a voltage source that outputs a voltage proportional to the bandgap of a semiconductor. These circuits are deceptively simple to build, and they reflect important phenomena about the nature of electronic charges in semiconductors. These bandgap voltage reference circuits can have high stability against temperature changes. So how can you design a reference voltage source to provide a stable voltage for your components? As it turns out, you can take advantage of the bandgap in a semiconductor to produce a fixed, highly stable voltage for use as a reference. Thus, it also can’t act as a stable reference voltage. A typical power supply can have a noisy output and/or some residual ripple. Have you ever looked at a component datasheet and seen a block diagram that shows an input for a reference voltage? Where does this value come from and how is it generated? A battery is unsuitable for use as a reference voltage source as the voltage can droop over time, producing an inaccurate voltage. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is one material that can be used to build a bandgap voltage reference circuit. These components are highly stable against power supply fluctuations, temperature, and other noise sources in your system. The most compact and stable choice of voltage reference is a bandgap voltage reference, which is often made from silicon or integrated onto a silicon die. Some components, such as an error amplifier in an LDO (Low Dropout Regulator), need stable reference voltages for comparative measurements.
