High voltage ring pump with inverter stages and voltage boosting stages
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A circuit including at least two coupled charge pump elements, each charge pump element including:
- an inverter having an input terminal for receiving an input voltage from a ring-connected preceding charge pump element and an inverter output terminal externally accessible from the charge pump element and ring-connected to a succeeding charge pump element, wherein the input voltage applied to the input terminal of the inverter is inverted to obtain a complementary output voltage on the inverter output terminal;
at least one pump block configured to be coupled to the preceding charge pump element and to the succeeding charge pump element, each pump block having (1) a voltage input terminal, externally accessible from that pump block and configured to be serially coupled to the preceding charge pump element, for taking in a pump block input voltage, and (2) a voltage output terminal, externally accessible from that pump block and configured to be serially coupled to the succeeding charge pump element, for sending out a pump block output voltage, and (3) first and second internal voltage inputs, wherein the pump block output voltage of each pump block is larger in magnitude than the pump block input voltage to that pump block; and
a driving circuit connected to the inverter output terminal on one end and to the first and second internal voltage inputs of at least one pump block on another end, wherein the driving circuit generates a first voltage and a second voltage based on the output voltage at the inverter output terminal of the inverter, and wherein each of the first and second voltages are respectively applied to the first and second internal voltage inputs of the at least one pump block.
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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.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A circuit including at least two coupled charge pump elements, each charge pump element including:
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an inverter having an input terminal for receiving an input voltage from a ring-connected preceding charge pump element and an inverter output terminal externally accessible from the charge pump element and ring-connected to a succeeding charge pump element, wherein the input voltage applied to the input terminal of the inverter is inverted to obtain a complementary output voltage on the inverter output terminal; at least one pump block configured to be coupled to the preceding charge pump element and to the succeeding charge pump element, each pump block having (1) a voltage input terminal, externally accessible from that pump block and configured to be serially coupled to the preceding charge pump element, for taking in a pump block input voltage, and (2) a voltage output terminal, externally accessible from that pump block and configured to be serially coupled to the succeeding charge pump element, for sending out a pump block output voltage, and (3) first and second internal voltage inputs, wherein the pump block output voltage of each pump block is larger in magnitude than the pump block input voltage to that pump block; and a driving circuit connected to the inverter output terminal on one end and to the first and second internal voltage inputs of at least one pump block on another end, wherein the driving circuit generates a first voltage and a second voltage based on the output voltage at the inverter output terminal of the inverter, and wherein each of the first and second voltages are respectively applied to the first and second internal voltage inputs of the at least one pump block. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for boosting voltage using a plurality of coupled charge pump elements, comprising:
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applying a first oscillating signal from a preceding charge pump element to an input terminal of an inverter of one charge pump element to obtain a complementary second oscillating signal on an inverter output terminal, the inverter output terminal being externally accessible from the one charge pump element and coupled to a succeeding charge pump element; coupling the complementary second oscillating signal to a driving circuit; generating a first internal voltage and a second internal voltage in the driving circuit based on the second oscillating signal; coupling the first and second internal voltages of the driving circuit to respective first and second internal voltage inputs of at least one pump block; taking in a pump block input voltage through a voltage input terminal externally accessible from the at least one pump block and serially coupled to the preceding charge pump element; and outputting a pump block output voltage from the at least one pump block, through a voltage output terminal externally accessible from the at least one pump block and coupled to the succeeding charge pump element, in response to the first and second internal voltages, wherein the pump block output voltage of each pump block is larger in magnitude than the pump block input voltage to that pump block. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A circuital arrangement adapted to provide voltage to a load circuit, comprising a plurality of charge pump elements, each charge pump element comprising:
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(a) an inverter configured to be coupled to another charge pump element, wherein an input voltage to the inverter is inverted to obtain a complementary output voltage for the charge pump element; (b) at least one pump block configured to be coupled to another charge pump element, 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 (c) a driving circuit connected with the 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 inverter, and wherein each of the first and second voltages are adapted to be applied to the at least one pump block; wherein a plurality of charge pump element inverters are ring connected together and a plurality of charge pump element pump blocks are serially connected together. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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Specification