Substrate potential generating circuit
US5041739A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 14, 1990 |
| Grant date | Aug 20, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 14, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K17/6872
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A substrate potential generating circuit of the present invention includes a first charge-pump circuit which produces a higher-potential voltage whose polarity is the same as that of and whose potential is higher than that of the power supply voltage and a second charge-pump circuit to which is supplied as a power source voltage the higher-potential voltage produced by the first charge-pump circuit and which generates a predetermined substrate potential to be supplied to a substrate of a semiconductor integrated circuit. The polarity of the substrate potential is opposite to that of the higher-potential voltage. The circuit of the present invention has enough capability of stably supplying the necessary substrate potential to the substrate without increasing the size of any transistors or capacitor constituting the second charge-pump circuit. In order to enhance the reliability of the circuit, the generating circuit may further comprise a high-potential control circuit which controls a maximum potential of the higher-potential voltage produced by the first charge-pump circuit and then supplied to the second charge-pump circuit as a power source voltage therefor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.