High voltage ring pump with inverter stages and voltage boosting stages

• US 8,686,787 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: pSemi Corporation (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Original Assignee: Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Inventors: Swonger, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells, Kenneth B.
• Application Number:
  US13/105,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20120286854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 327/536, 363/59, 363/60
• US Class Current: 327/536
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/04 wherein the variable is ac
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0077 Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps

Abstract

A multi-stage device for boosting an input voltage is discussed. Each stage of the device comprises a stage of a ring oscillator and a charge pump. An oscillating signal, generated by the ring oscillator within the device, drives the charge pump in each stage of the device. The charge pumps of the stages are serially connected. A final stage of the multi-stage device is adapted to provide voltage to a load circuit. The multi-stage device is applicable for generation of different bias voltages from one or more source voltages.

Claims

1. A circuital arrangement adapted to provide an output voltage to a load circuit, comprising:

a plurality of inverter stages ring connected; and

a plurality of voltage boosting stages serially connected, each voltage boosting stage being coupled with a corresponding inverter stage, wherein each voltage boosting stage comprises;

at least one pump block, wherein an output voltage of a particular pump block in the at least one pump block is larger in magnitude than an input voltage to the particular pump block in the at least one pump block, and

a driving circuit connected with an output of a corresponding inverter stage on one end and the at least one pump block on another end, wherein the driving circuit generates a first voltage and a second voltage based on the input voltage to the corresponding inverter stage, and wherein each of the first and second voltages are adapted to be applied to the at least one pump block,

wherein;

an output of a particular voltage boosting stage in the plurality of voltage boosting stages is higher in magnitude than an output of a previous voltage boosting stage in the plurality of voltage boosting stages,

the output of the previous voltage boosting stage is an input to the particular voltage boosting stage, and

a last voltage boosting stage in the plurality of voltage boosting stages is adapted to provide the output voltage to the load circuit.

2. The circuital arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of inverter stages is an odd plurality of inverter stages and the plurality of voltage boosting stages is an odd plurality of voltage boosting stages.

3. The circuital arrangement according to claim 1, wherein, each inverter stage is either in a first voltage state or a second voltage state.

4. The circuital arrangement according to claim 1, wherein, voltages of the voltage boosting stage is a function of voltages of the inverter stage.

5. The circuital arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of inverter stages is an odd plurality of inverter stages and the plurality of voltage boosting stages is an odd plurality of voltage boosting stages.

6. The circuital arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the at least one pump block in each voltage boosting stage comprises:

a full-wave bridge rectifier; and

a charge storage device connected with the full-wave bridge rectifier.

7. The circuital arrangement according to claim 4, wherein:

the driving circuit in each voltage boosting stage comprises;

a first capacitor, wherein an input to the first capacitor is a first function of voltages of the inverter stage; and

a second capacitor, wherein an input to the second capacitor is a second function of voltages of the inverter stage; and

the at least one pump block in each voltage boosting stage comprises;

a full-wave bridge rectifier comprising a first input node and a second input node, wherein an input at the first input node is a function of an output of the first capacitor and an input at the second input node is a function of an output of the second capacitor; and

a charge storage device serially connected with the full-wave bridge rectifier.

8. The circuital arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the output of the first capacitor and the output of the second capacitor are complementary to each other.

9. The circuital arrangement according to claim 7, wherein each inverter stage is either in a first voltage state or in a second voltage state.

10. The circuital arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the input to the first capacitor and the input to the second capacitor are different voltage states selected from two voltage states.

11. The circuital arrangement according to claim 4, wherein:

the driving circuit in each voltage boosting stage comprises;

a first set of inverters comprising one inverter or a plurality of serially connected inverters, wherein an input to the first set of inverters is a first function of voltages of the inverter stage;

a second set of inverters comprising one inverter or a plurality of serially connected inverters, wherein an input to the second set of inverters is a second function of voltages of the inverter stage;

a first capacitor, wherein an input to the first capacitor is a function of an output of the first set of inverters; and

a second capacitor, wherein an input to the second capacitor is a function of an output of the second set of inverters; and

the at least one pump block in each voltage boosting stage comprises;

a full-wave bridge rectifier comprising a first input node and a second input node, wherein an input at the first input node is a function of an output of the first capacitor and an input at the second input node is a function of an output of the second capacitor; and

a charge storage device serially connected with the full-wave bridge rectifier.

12. The circuital arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the output of the first capacitor and the output of the second capacitor are complementary to each other.

13. The circuital arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the output of the first set of inverters and the output of the second set of inverters are different voltage states selected from two voltage states.

14. The circuital arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first set of inverters is serially connected to the inverter stage on one end and the first capacitor on another end and the second set of inverters is serially connected to the inverter stage on one end and the second capacitor on another end.

15. The circuital arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each inverter stage comprises an initial inverter, and wherein the initial inverter of each inverter stage is directly connected to the initial inverter of a previous inverter stage and the initial inverter of a next inverter stage.

16. A circuital arrangement adapted to provide voltage to a load circuit, comprising a plurality of stages, wherein each stage comprises a charge pump element,

the charge pump element comprising:

an initial inverter, wherein an input voltage to the initial inverter is inverted to obtain a complementary output voltage;

at least one pump block, wherein an output voltage of a particular pump block in the at least one pump block is larger in magnitude than an input voltage to the particular pump block in the at least one pump block; and

a driving circuit connected with the initial inverter on one end and the at least one pump block on another end, wherein the driving circuit generates a first voltage and a second voltage based on the input voltage to the initial inverter, and wherein each of the first and second voltages are adapted to be applied to the at least one pump block, and wherein

the initial inverter of a particular stage is serially connected to the initial inverter of a next stage and the initial inverter of a previous stage,

the initial inverter of a last stage is serially connected to the initial inverter of a first stage,

the at least one pump block of the particular stage is serially connected to the at least one pump block of the next stage and the at least one pump block of the previous stage,

an initial voltage is adapted to be applied to the at least one pump block of the first stage, and

the at least one pump block of the last stage is adapted to be connected to the load circuit.

17. The circuital arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the initial inverter of the particular stage is directly connected to the initial inverter of the previous stage and the initial inverter of the next stage.