Charge pump system

• US 9,214,859 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Chun-Jen, Shiau, Tzeng-Huei, Hung, Chun-Hsiung, Wu, Caiyun, Lin, Yung Feng, Wang, Qifang
• Primary Examiner(s): Hiltunen, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US13/460,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 327/536, 363 59- 60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps

Abstract

In one aspect, a first charge pump has serially arranged charge pump stages. Inter-stage nodes between adjacent stages are pumped by a second charge pump. In another aspect, timing of the charge pump stages is controlled by at a command clock signal. The command clock signal and command data are communicated between a integrated circuit with the charge pump and an external circuit.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a first charge pump including;

a plurality of serially arranged charge pump stages of the first charge pump arranged to pump a first voltage level from a first stage to a last stage of the first charge pump; and

inter-stage nodes between adjacent stages of the plurality of serially arranged charge pump stages; and

a second charge pump coupled to one or more of the inter-stage nodes of the first charge pump, the second charge pump arranged to pump one or more voltage levels of the one or more of the inter-stage nodes of the first charge pump, the second charge pump including;

a plurality of serially arranged charge pump stages of the second charge pump arranged to pump a second voltage level from a first stage to a last stage of the second charge pump,

wherein an input clock signal received by the integrated circuit (i) determines a pumping frequency of the first charge pump, and (ii) clocks data including memory commands and memory addresses received by the integrated circuit; and

a control circuit generating a signal to enable the first charge pump in response to a read command, and providing the output of the first charge pump as a word line read voltage to a word line on the integrated circuit,

wherein the first charge pump has a first pump output, the second charge pump has a second pump output, the first pump output and the second pump output are coupled in parallel to a total pump output, the first pump output coupled to the total pump output via a first transistor with a fixed diode configuration.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first charge pump is driven by a two-phase clock including a first clock signal and a second clock signal, wherein the first clock signal and the second clock signal are differently delayed versions of an input clock signal undedicated to charge pumping.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first charge pump is driven by clock signals that are nonoverlapping, such that parts of the clock signals that activate the charge pump stages are nonoverlapping.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first charge pump is driven by clock signals having a duty cycle less than half, such that parts of the clock signals that activate the charge pump stages are less than half of the clock signals.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first charge pump is driven by clock signals that are differently delayed versions of an input clock signal, and the input clock signal has a duty cycle less than half, such that parts of the input clock signal that activate the charge pump stages are less than half of the input clock signal.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first charge pump is driven by a two-phase clock including a first clock signal and a second clock signal, wherein the first clock signal and the second clock signal are delayed versions of an input clock signal, and wherein the second charge pump is driven by a four-phase clock.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising control circuitry that compensates for leakage from the one or more of the inter-stage nodes with charge pumping of the one or more of the inter-stage nodes by the second charge pump.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, at an integrated circuit, an input clock signal that (i) determines a pumping frequency of the first charge pump, and (ii) clocks data including memory commands and memory addresses received by the integrated circuit; and

pumping, on the integrated circuit, one or more voltage levels of one or more inter-stage nodes between adjacent stages of a first plurality of serially arranged charge pump stages of a first charge pump, with a second charge pump having a second plurality of serially arranged charge pump stages;

enabling the first charge pump in response to a read command; and

providing, from the output of the first charge pump, a word line read voltage,

wherein the first charge pump has a first pump output, the second charge pump has a second pump output, the first pump output and the second pump output are coupled in parallel to a total pump output, the first pump output coupled to the total pump output via a first transistor with a fixed diode configuration.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first charge pump is driven by a two-phase clock including a first clock signal and a second clock signal, wherein the first clock signal and the second clock signal are differently delayed versions of an input clock signal undedicated to charge pumping.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first charge pump is driven by clock signals that are nonoverlapping, such that parts of the clock signals that activate the charge pump stages are nonoverlapping.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first charge pump is driven by clock signals having a duty cycle less than half, such that parts of the clock signals that activate the charge pump stages are less than half of the clock signals.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first charge pump is driven by clock signals that are differently delayed versions of an input clock signal, and the input clock signal has a duty cycle less than half, such that parts of the input clock signal that activate the charge pump stages are less than half of the input clock signal.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first charge pump is driven by a two-phase clock including a first clock signal and a second clock signal, wherein the first clock signal and the second clock signal are delayed versions of an input clock signal, and wherein the second charge pump is driven by a four-phase clock.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

compensating for leakage from the one or more of the inter-stage nodes with charge pumping of the one or more of the inter-stage nodes by the second charge pump.