Semiconductor voltage reference system having substantially zero temperature coefficient

Claim 1

A VOLTAGE REFERENCE SYSTEM COMPRISING, A FIRST SEMICONDUCTING ELEMENT OF A GIVEN CONDUCTIVITY TYPE, A SECOND SEMI-CONDUCTING ELEMENT OF SAID GIVEN CONDUCTIVITY TYPE, A THIRD SEMI-CONDUCTING ELEMENT OF THE OPPOSITE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE JOINED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELEMENTS TO FORM A FIRST AND SECOND BARRIER, SAID BARRIERS SPACED WITHIN A MINORITY CARRIER DIFFUSION LENGTH OF EACH OTHER AT THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE OF THE SYSTEM, TO PROVIDE MINORITY CARRIER INJECTION INTO THE REGION OF BREAKDOWN WHEN ONE OF SAID BARRIERS IS REVERSE BIASED TO BREAKDOWN, A CURRENT SOURCE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID FIRST TERMINAL TO SAID FIRST SEMI-CONDUCTOR ELEMENT AND SAID SECOND TERMINAL TO SAID SECOND SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT OR REVERSE BIASING ONE OF SAID BARRIERS TO BREAKDOWN SAID THIRD SEMI-CONDUCTING ELEMENT BEING CONNECTED WITH SAID CURRENT SOURCE ONLY THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND SEMI-CONDUCTOR ELEMENTS.