Charge pump circuit

• US 6,337,594 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1998
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Semico Company Limited (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Hwang, Tae Sun
• Primary Examiner(s): Callahan, Timothy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai L.
• Application Number:
  US09/184,883
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 327/536, 327/589, 327/537, 327/390, 327/538, 327/343, 327/535, 326/88
• US Class Current: 327/536
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/073 Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/075 including a plurality of stages and two sets of clock signals, one set for the odd and one set for the even numbered stages

Abstract

The charge pump circuit, includes an amplifier, a condenser, and a modifying circuit. The amplifier has a plurality of first voltage transfer stages, and each first voltage transfer stage transfers a voltage from an input to an output thereof such that the output voltage equals the input voltage minus a voltage drop. The condenser increases the output voltage at the output of at least one of the voltage transfer stages, and the voltage modifying circuit modifies each increased output voltage to compensate for the voltage drop.

Claims

1. A charge pump circuit, comprising:

an amplifier having a plurality of first voltage transfer stages, each first voltage transfer stage transferring a voltage from an input to an output thereof such that the output voltage equals the input voltage minus a voltage drop;

a first condenser increasing the output voltage at the output of at least one of the first voltage transfer stages; and

a voltage modifying circuit modifying each increased output voltage to compensate for the voltage drop,

wherein the voltage modifying circuit modifies the increased output voltage in response to the increase in the output voltage.

2. The charge pump circuit of claim 1, wherein the first condenser increases the output voltage in response to at least a first clock.

3. The charge pump circuit of claim 1, wherein the first condenser increases each modified output voltage.

4. The charge pump circuit of claim 1, wherein the first condenser increases the output voltage at the output of each transfer stage except a final transfer stage.

5. The charge pump circuit of claim 4, wherein the first condenser increases each modified output voltage.

6. The charge pump circuit of claim 4, wherein the first condenser increases the output voltage at the output of each transfer stage except the final transfer stage in response to at least first and second clocks.

7. The charge pump circuit of claim 1, wherein the voltage modifying circuit modifies the increased output voltage to a voltage equal to the output voltage prior to the increase plus the voltage drop.

8. The charge pump circuit of claim 1, wherein the voltage modifying circuit modifies the increased output voltage in response to at least a first clock signal.

9. The charge pump circuit of claim 1, wherein the voltage modifying circuit detects an increase in an output voltage, and modifies the detected increased output voltage.

10. The charge pump circuit of claim 1, wherein the voltage modifying circuit comprises:

a controller having a plurality of second voltage transfer stages, each second voltage transfer stage corresponding to one of the first voltage transfer stages and transferring the input voltage of the corresponding first voltage transfer stage from a first terminal to a second terminal;

a second condenser increasing the voltage at the second terminal of at least the second voltage transfer stage corresponding to the first voltage transfer stage that the first condenser increases the output voltage of; and

a moving portion including a plurality of voltage moving stages, each voltage moving stage corresponding to one of the first voltage transfer stages and moving the input voltage of the corresponding first voltage transfer stage to the output of the corresponding first voltage transfer stage when the second terminal voltage of the second voltage transfer stage corresponding to the first voltage transfer stage is increased by the second condenser.

11. The charge pump circuit of claim 10, wherein the first condenser includes a plurality of first capacitors.

12. The charge pump circuit of claim 10, wherein

the first condenser includes a plurality of first capacitors;

and

the second condenser includes a plurality of second capacitors.

13. A charge pump circuit, comprising:

an amplifier having a plurality of first voltage transfer stages, each first voltage transfer stage transferring a voltage from an input to an output thereof such that the output voltage equals the input voltage minus a voltage drop;

a first condenser increasing the output voltage at the output of at least one of the first voltage transfer stages; and

a voltage modifying circuit modifying each increased output voltage to compensate for the voltage drop,

wherein the voltage modifying circuit comprises;

a detecting circuit detecting an increase in the output voltage of at least one of the first voltage transfer stages;

an enable circuit generating an enable signal when the detecting circuit detects an increase in the output voltage; and

an outputting circuit modifying the increased output voltage in response to the enable signal.

14. The charge pump circuit of claim 13, wherein

the first transfer stages include a plurality of first transistors connected in series;

the second transfer stages include a plurality of second transistors connected in series; and

the moving stages include a plurality of third transistors connected in series.

15. The charge pump circuit of claim 13, wherein the first transfer stages include a plurality of first transistors connected in series.

16. A method of operating a charge pump circuit having a plurality of voltage transfer stages comprising:

transferring, by each voltage transfer stage, a voltage from an input to an output thereof such that the output voltage equals the input voltage minus a voltage drop;

increasing the output voltage of at least one of the voltage transfer stages; and

modifying the increased output voltage to compensate for the voltage drop by using a modifying circuit to modify the increased output voltaged in response to the increase in the output voltage.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the increasing and modifying steps are performed for at least two voltage transfer stages.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the modifying step comprises:

applying the input voltage of said voltage transfer stage, to an input of a voltage controller and to an input of a voltage mover;

transferring the input voltage of said voltage controller to an output thereof without any voltage drop, in response to the increased output voltage of said voltage transfer stage;

increasing the output of said voltage controller;

transferring the input voltage of said voltage mover to an output thereof without any voltage drop, in response to the increased output voltage of said voltage controller;

applying the output voltage of said voltage mover, to the output of said voltage transfer stage, such that the input voltage of said voltage transfer stage appears at the output of said voltage transfer stage.