Dynamic cascode-managed high-voltage word-line driver circuit
US9053770B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 10, 2014 |
| Grant date | Jun 9, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 10, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C2029/1202
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of operation of a high-voltage word-line driver circuit for a memory device prevents any single transistor of the driver from having the full power supply voltage from which the word-line output signal is generated, from being applied across any single transistor of the word-line driver circuit. A pair of cascode devices are connected in series with the pull-down device of the input stage and a pull-up device of the input stage, and biased using reference voltages to control the maximum voltage drop across the pull-down device when the pull-down device is off and the pull-up device is active, and to control the maximum voltage drop across the pull-up device when the pull-down device is active. The output stage also includes cascode devices that protect the output pull-down and pull-up devices, and the reference voltages that bias the input and output cascode pairs may be the same reference voltages.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.