Patent · US Expired

Maximum swing cascode circuit for a bipolar charge pump

US5066871A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
8References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 9, 1991
Grant dateNov 19, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 9, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K17/0422
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A maximum swing bipolar charge pump retains a cascode switching configuration for high breakdown. The charge pump includes a charge pump capacitor with a first plate connected to supply in the conventional manner. A first cascode-connected NPN transistor is utilized to switch the second plate of the pump capacitor to the supply. A second cascode-connected NPN transistor is utilized to switch the second plate of the pump capacitor close to ground. An additional bipolar biasing network holds the second NPN transistor out of heavy saturation when the second plate of the pump capacitor is switched close to ground, thereby preserving fast turn-off time and maximum voltage swing with the constraint of a bipolar cascode configuration.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.