VDS clamp for limiting impact ionization in high density CMOS devices

Claim 1

In a switched capacitor filter amplifier of the type that includes (a) a power supply for generating a first voltage and a second voltage; (b) an input stage including (i) a differential transistor pair having source elements connected to a common node which is at a substantially fixed voltage, (ii) a current mirror, (iii) a pair of common gate load transistors coupled in series between the respective drains of the differential transistor pair and the current mirror, the gates of the load transistors having a bias potential applied thereto; and (c) an inverting amplifier stage which receives a single-ended output from the input stage, the inverting amplifier stage including (i) a driver transistor connected to the power supply, and (ii) a current sink biased in parallel with a tail current sink for the differential transistor pair, the improvement comprising a clamping transistor located in series with the driver transistor and having its gate connected to the common node of the differential transistor pair such that the drain-to-source voltages of the driver transistor and the clamping transistor are substantially equal.