Low voltage charge pump circuit and method for pumping a node to an electrical potential
US5394320A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 15, 1993 |
| Grant date | Feb 28, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 15, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S323/901
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A charge pump circuit and method for increasing a value of a supply potential. The charge pump circuit features a first stage circuit for generating an intermediate pumped potential greater than an input supply potential. The intermediate pumped potential becomes a supply potential for a portion of a second stage circuit. The second stage circuit generates a pumped output potential greater than the intermediate pumped potential. Both the first and second stage circuits have at least two capacitors, a small pump capacitor and a large pump capacitor. The first stage circuit of the invention supplies the increased intermediate pumped potential to those nodes which are used to charge the small pump capacitor of the second stage circuit. The input supply potential supplies the potential to those nodes which are used to charge the large pump capacitors of both stages and the small pump capacitor of the first stage circuit. The small pump capacitor of the second stage circuit, in turn, supplies the gate voltage to an n-channel transistor of the second stage circuit which passes a full charge from the large pump capacitor to the output. Charging only the small pump capacitor of the second …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.