Level shifter circuit

• US 7,382,158 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North Star Innovations Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Kimura, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Anh Q
• Application Number:
  US11/867,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: 326/68, 326 80- 81, 327/333
• US Class Current: 326/81
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018528 with at least one differential stage

Abstract

A level shifter circuit for ensuring a high impedance state even in a transitional period such as when activating an external power supply while reducing power consumption. A latch circuit is set to a low level by a set circuit when a high potential power supply voltage increases. When the high potential power supply voltage exceeds a threshold voltage, a p-channel MOS transistor of the latch circuit is activated and the high potential power supply voltage is applied to a first transistor via a connection node. When a high potential enable signal having normal high level signal voltage is provided to a second transistor, which is connected to the first transistor, the reset circuit provides the high level signal to the latch circuit and stops the voltage application to the first transistor via the connection node.

Claims

1. A level shifter circuit, including:

a first output control element formed by a p-channel MOS transistor arranged between an output terminal and a high potential power supply voltage line;

a second output control element formed by an n-channel MOS transistor arranged between the output terminal and a reference voltage line;

a first switch element for controlling connection between a gate terminal of the first output control element and the high potential power supply voltage line in accordance with an output enable signal for performing an output corresponding to an input signal; and

a second switch element for controlling connection between a gate terminal of the second output control element and the reference voltage line in accordance with an output disable signal for realizing a high impedance state;

wherein when the output enable signal has a high level and the input signal has a high level, a voltage higher than a voltage of the input signal is output from the output terminal, the level shifter circuit being characterized by;

a high impedance holding means including;

a set means for applying high potential power supply voltage to the gate terminal of the first output control element when the high potential power supply voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the first output control element; and

a reset means for stopping the application of the high potential power supply voltage to the gate terminal of the first output control element when the first switch element starts control.

2. The level shifter circuit according to claim 1 being characterized in that the high impedance holding means includes:

a latch means including a third switch element formed by a p-channel MOS transistor and arranged between the high potential power supply voltage line and the gate terminal of the first output control element, two inverters connected in series, and a resistor element arranged in parallel to the inverters, the inverter connected to the resistor element having an output terminal connected to a gate terminal of the third switch element; and

wherein the set means provides a low level signal to the latch means to activate the third switch element, and the reset means provides a high level signal to the latch means to deactivate the third switch element.

3. The level shifter circuit according to claim 2 further being characterized by:

a voltage generating means for supplying power to the latch means and maintaining voltage at an input terminal of the latch means as voltage having a low level when a power supply is activated; and

a release means that stops current flow to the inverter reference voltage line when the voltage at the high potential power supply voltage line is higher than the voltage at the inverter reference voltage line of the two inverters of the latch means and causes current to flow to the high potential power supply voltage line when the voltage at the high potential power supply voltage line is lower than the voltage at the inverter reference voltage line;

wherein the set means includes a first shift element formed by an n-channel MOS transistor having a gate terminal to which constant voltage is applied in a normal state and connected between the release means and the input terminal of the latch means; and

the reset means further includes a second shift element formed by a p-channel MOS transistor, the second shift element having a drain terminal connected to the input terminal of the latch means and a gate terminal to which the constant voltage is applied.

4. The level shifter circuit according to claim 3 being characterized in that:

the release means is a Zener diode, wherein the Zener diode has a Zener voltage set to be higher than a threshold voltage of the third switch element and lower than the high potential power supply voltage; and

the release means has a terminal connected to the first shift element and to the inverter reference voltage line.

5. The level shifter circuit according to claim 4 further being characterized by:

a third shift element formed by a p-channel MOS transistor arranged between the inverter reference voltage line and the reference voltage line, wherein the third shift element has a gate terminal to which the constant voltage is applied.

6. The level shifter circuit according to claim 5 further being characterized by:

a fourth shift element formed by an n-channel MOS transistor arranged between the inverter reference voltage line and the terminal of the release means connected to the first shift element, wherein the fourth shift element has a source terminal, which is connected to the input terminal of the latch means, and a gate terminal, to which the constant voltage is applied.

7. The level shifter circuit according to claim 3 being characterized in that:

the gate terminal of the first switch element is provided with a high potential enable signal that becomes a voltage having a low level when the output enable signal has a low level and becomes a voltage having a high level and being greater than the output enable signal when the output enable signal has a high level;

the first switch element connects the gate terminal of the first output control element and the high potential power supply voltage line when the high potential enable signal is output as voltage for a low level signal during a normal state; and

the reset means further includes a reset control element formed by a p-channel MOS transistor, wherein the reset control element has a source terminal connected to the high potential power supply voltage line and a drain terminal connected to the input terminal of the latch means, the gate terminal being provided with a high potential disable signal, which is an inverted signal of the high potential enable signal.

8. The level shifter circuit according to claim 7 characterized in that:

the reset means includes a second reset control element arranged in parallel to the reset control element, wherein the second reset control element has a gate terminal provided with the high potential enable signal.

9. The level shifter circuit according to claim 8 characterized in that:

the drain terminal of the reset control element is connected to a drain terminal of the second reset control element, and two compensation elements formed by n-channel MOS transistors are arranged in series between the drain terminals and the reference voltage line to connect the drain terminals to the reference voltage line; and

the compensation elements have gate elements provided with the output enable signal and an output disable signal, which is an inverted signal of the output enable signal.