Implementation of output floating scheme for hv charge pumps
First Claim
1. A method of managing power in a non-volatile memory system having a high voltage charge pump and associated regulator, comprising:
- receiving an operation command corresponding to an operation;
pumping up a charge pump output voltage to a desired output voltage consistent with the received operation command;
turning off the regulator and the charge pump when the output voltage is approximately the desired output voltage;
compensating for charge sharing by turning on the charge pump and setting a pump clock rate to a slow clock rate in order to avoid overshooting the desired output voltage by the charge pump while the operation is being carried out; and
compensating for junction leakage by turning on only the regulator until the charge pump output voltage is the desired output voltage.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
According to different embodiments of the present invention, various methods, devices and systems are described for managing power in charge pumps in a non-volatile memory system having a high voltage charge pump and associated regulator. A method includes the following operations, receiving an operation command corresponding to an operation, pumping up a charge pump output voltage to a desired output voltage, turning off the regulator and the charge pump when the output voltage is approximately the desired output voltage compensating for charge sharing by turning on the charge pump and setting a pump clock rate to a slow clock rate in order to avoid overshooting the desired output voltage by the charge pump while the operation is being carried out, and compensating for junction leakage by turning on the regulator and the charge pump until the charge pump output voltage is the desired output voltage.
90 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method of managing power in a non-volatile memory system having a high voltage charge pump and associated regulator, comprising:
-
receiving an operation command corresponding to an operation; pumping up a charge pump output voltage to a desired output voltage consistent with the received operation command; turning off the regulator and the charge pump when the output voltage is approximately the desired output voltage; compensating for charge sharing by turning on the charge pump and setting a pump clock rate to a slow clock rate in order to avoid overshooting the desired output voltage by the charge pump while the operation is being carried out; and compensating for junction leakage by turning on only the regulator until the charge pump output voltage is the desired output voltage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A charge pump circuit used to provide the voltages and currents to a flash memory cell, comprising;
-
a charge pump used to convert an input voltage (Vin) to a desired output voltage (Vout) at a charge pump output node that is higher than the input voltage Vin; a regulator circuit that regulates the output of the charge pump so that the output voltage Vout remains at a substantially constant voltage level; a load_connect_enable signal generator that provides a load_connect_enable signal to a switch 218, wherein when the load_enable_connect signal goes LOW, the switch “
opens”
thereby electrically disconnecting the charge pump output node from a load causing the charge pump output node to float, and wherein when the load_connect_enable signal goes HIGH, then the switch circuit “
closes”
so as to electrically connect the charge pump output node to the load;a FLAG signal generator unit coupled to the regulator that generates and issues to the charge pump by a FLAG signal having a rising and a falling edge; a FLAG_ASSIST signal generator unit connected to the charge pump that generates a FLAG_ASSIST signal having a FLAG_ASSIST rising and falling edge; and an edge detector unit in communication with the FLAG signal generator and the FLAG_ASSIST signal generator wherein the edge detector latches the first falling edge of the FLAG signal immediately after the load_connect_enable signal is HIGH goes HIGH and in response, the FLAG_ASSIST signal generator unit generates a FLAG_ASSIST signal having a FLAG_ASSIST rising and falling edge that is used in conjunction with the FLAS signal to turn off the regulator and the charge pump and in some cases to set the pump clock to a very slow clock rate.
-
-
11. A computer program product for managing power in a non-volatile memory system having a high voltage charge pump and associated regulator executed by a computer processor, comprising:
-
computer code for receiving an operation command corresponding to an operation; computer code for pumping up a charge pump output voltage to a desired output voltage consistent with the received operation command; computer code for turning off the regulator and the charge pump when the output voltage is approximately the desired output voltage; computer code for compensating for charge sharing by turning on the charge pump and setting a pump clock rate to a slow clock rate in order to avoid overshooting the desired output voltage by the charge pump while the operation is being carried out; computer code for compensating for junction leakage by turning on the regulator and the charge pump until the charge pump output voltage is the desired output voltage; and computer readable medium for storing the computer code. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification