Negative power supply
US5282170A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 22, 1992 |
| Grant date | Jan 25, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 22, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C5/147
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A negative power supply for generating and supplying a regulated negative potential to control gates of selected memory cells via wordlines in an array of flash EEPROM memory cells during flash erasure includes charge pumping means (12) formed of a plurality of charge pump stages (401-404) for generating a high negative voltage, and cancellation means coupled to each stage of the charge pump means for effectively canceling out threshold voltage drops in the charge pump means. A regulator means (16) responsive to the high negative voltage and a reference potential is provided for generating the regulated negative potential so that it is independent of an external supply potential (VCC).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.