A 2-terminal bandgap reference diode with outstanding precision and excellent temperature properties at very low running currents is the LT®1004 micropower voltage reference. The gadget can now achieve accuracy criteria that were previously only possible with a select few units because of optimization of the main factors used in its design, processing, and testing. The reference voltage distribution plot for a typical batch of LT1004-1.2 is shown below. Almost all of the units are well inside the allowed range of ±4mV.
With better accuracy criteria, the LT1004 is a pin-for-pin replacement for the LM185/LM385 series of references. The LT1004 is a desirable device for use in systems where accuracy was previously attained at the expense of power usage and trimming, which is more significant.