Pump capacitor configuration for voltage multiplier

• US 10,680,513 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: pSemi Corporation (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Original Assignee: pSemi Corporation (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Inventors: Giuliano, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Behm, Harry R
• Application Number:
  US16/221,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20190123640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 363 59- 60, 363 61, 327536
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/072 adapted to generate an output voltage whose value is lower than the input voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/075 including a plurality of stages and two sets of clock signals, one set for the odd and one set for the even numbered stages

Abstract

A cascade multiplier includes a switch network having switching elements, a phase pump, and a network of pump capacitors coupled with the phase pump and to the switch network. The network of pump capacitors includes first and second capacitors, both of which have one terminal DC coupled with the phase pump, and a third capacitor coupled with the phase pump through the first capacitor.

Claims

1. An apparatus to cause a capacitor network that comprises a plurality of capacitors that are to be interconnected by a switching network of said apparatus to cause a voltage at a first port thereof to be a multiple of a voltage at a second port thereof, wherein, among said capacitors are a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor, wherein, throughout operation of said switching network, said first capacitor has a positive terminal that is to remain DC coupled to a first node, said second capacitor has a positive terminal that is to be DC coupled to a second node, said third capacitor has a negative terminal that is to remain DC coupled to said positive terminal of said second capacitor and a positive terminal that is to remain DC coupled to a third node, and said first and second capacitors have negative terminals that are to remain DC coupled to a fourth node that is one of said second port and a phase pump, wherein said negative terminal of said third capacitor is to be coupled to said fourth node without being DC coupled to said fourth node, and wherein said capacitor network further comprises a fourth capacitor having a negative terminal that is to be DC coupled to said positive terminal of said second capacitor and a positive terminal that is to be DC coupled to a fifth node.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said capacitor network and said switches define a single-phase voltage multiplier, wherein said voltage multiplier, in operation, is to transition between a first interval and a second interval that is separated from said first interval by a dead-time interval, wherein, during said first interval, said voltage multiplier is to couple a voltage source to a load, and wherein, during said second interval, said voltage source and said load are to be decoupled.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said switching network comprises switches to implement a phase pump that causes charge to be shuttled along said switching network as said capacitor network is repeatedly charged and discharged by said phase pump.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said capacitor network and said switches define a multi-phase voltage multiplier, wherein said voltage multiplier, in operation, is to transition between a first interval and a second interval that is separated from said first interval by a dead-time interval, wherein, during said first interval, said voltage multiplier is to couple a voltage source to a load, and wherein, during said second interval, said multiplier is to couple said voltage source to said load.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said capacitor network comprises a pump capacitor network that is to cause voltage transformation between said first and second ports and a DC capacitor network that is to serve as intermediate storage for said pump capacitor network, and wherein said DC capacitor network is to connect between a DC voltage and said switching network.

6. An apparatus to cause a capacitor network that comprises a plurality of capacitors that are to be interconnected by a switching network of said apparatus to cause a voltage at a first port thereof to be a multiple of a voltage at a second port thereof, wherein, among said capacitors are a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor, wherein, throughout operation of said switching network, said first capacitor has a positive terminal that is to remain DC coupled to a first node, said second capacitor has a positive terminal that is to be DC coupled to a second node, said third capacitor has a negative terminal that is to remain DC coupled to said positive terminal of said second capacitor and a positive terminal that is to remain DC coupled to a third node, and said first and second capacitors have negative terminals that are to remain DC coupled to a fourth node that is one of said second port and a phase pump, wherein said negative terminal of said third capacitor is to be coupled to said fourth node without being DC coupled to said fourth node, wherein said capacitor network and said switches define a multi-phase voltage multiplier, wherein said voltage multiplier, in operation, is to transition between a first interval and a second interval that is separated from said first interval by a dead-time interval, wherein, during said first interval, said voltage multiplier is to couple a voltage source to a load, and wherein, during said second interval, said multiplier is to couple said voltage source to said load.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said capacitor network further comprises a fourth capacitor having a negative terminal that is to remain DC coupled to said positive terminal of said third capacitor and a positive terminal that, during operation of said switching network, is to remain DC coupled to a fifth node.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said capacitor network further comprises a fourth capacitor having a negative terminal that is to be DC coupled to said positive terminal of said first capacitor and a positive terminal that is to be DC coupled to a fifth node.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said negative terminal of said third capacitor has a negative terminal that is DC coupled to said second node.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said capacitor network further comprises a fourth capacitor having a negative terminal that is to be DC coupled to said positive terminal of said second capacitor and a positive terminal that is to be DC coupled to a fifth node.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said capacitor network comprises a pump capacitor network that is to cause voltage transformation between said first and second ports and a DC capacitor network that is to serve as intermediate storage for said pump capacitor network, and wherein said DC capacitor network is to connect between a DC voltage and said switching network.

12. An apparatus to cause a capacitor network that comprises a plurality of capacitors that are to be interconnected by a switching network of said apparatus to cause a voltage at a first port thereof to be a multiple of a voltage at a second port thereof, wherein, among said capacitors are a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor, wherein, throughout operation of said switching network, said first capacitor has a positive terminal that is to remain DC coupled to a first node, said second capacitor has a positive terminal that is to be DC coupled to a second node, said third capacitor has a negative terminal that is to remain DC coupled to said positive terminal of said second capacitor and a positive terminal that is to remain DC coupled to a third node, and said first and second capacitors have negative terminals that are to remain DC coupled to a fourth node that is one of said second port and a phase pump, wherein said negative terminal of said third capacitor is to be coupled to said fourth node without being DC coupled to said fourth node, wherein said capacitor network comprises a pump capacitor network that is to cause voltage transformation between said first and second ports and a DC capacitor network that is to serve as intermediate storage for said pump capacitor network, and wherein said DC capacitor network is to connect between a DC voltage and said switching network.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said capacitor network further comprises a fourth capacitor having a negative terminal that is to remain DC coupled to said positive terminal of said third capacitor and a positive terminal that, during operation of said switching network, is to remain DC coupled to a fifth node.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said capacitor network further comprises a fourth capacitor having a negative terminal that is to be DC coupled to said positive terminal of said second capacitor and a positive terminal that is to be DC coupled to a fifth node.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said capacitor network further comprises a fourth capacitor having a negative terminal that is to be DC coupled to said positive terminal of said first capacitor and a positive terminal that is to be DC coupled to a fifth node.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said capacitor network and said switches define a multi-phase voltage multiplier, wherein said voltage multiplier, in operation, is to transition between a first interval and a second interval that is separated from said first interval by a dead-time interval, wherein, during said first interval, said voltage multiplier is to couple a voltage source to a load, and wherein, during said second interval, said multiplier is to couple said voltage source to said load.

17. An apparatus comprising a voltage multiplier to cause a voltage at a first port thereof to be a multiple of a voltage at a second port thereof, said voltage multiplier comprising a first plurality of switches, a first phase-pump, and a plurality of capacitors, said plurality of capacitors to be coupled to said first phase-pump and comprising a first capacitor-network that comprises first, second, and third capacitors, each of which has a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminals of said capacitors to be coupled to selected nodes between pairs of said switches, wherein said first plurality of switches comprises a first switch having a terminal that is to be connected to said first port and a second switch having a terminal that is to be connected to said second port, wherein said second port is a bottom node, and wherein, throughout operation of said voltage multiplier, said first capacitor is to remain coupled to said bottom node through said second capacitor, a second terminal of said second capacitor is to remain DC coupled to said bottom node, and a second terminal of said third capacitor is to remain DC coupled to said bottom node.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said voltage multiplier is a multi-phase voltage multiplier.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said plurality of capacitors comprises a second capacitor-network and wherein said voltage multiplier further comprises a second phase pump that is to be coupled to said second capacitor-network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said second capacitor-network comprises a set of capacitors, each capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminals to be coupled to corresponding ones of selected nodes between pairs of said switches, wherein said set of capacitors comprises first and second capacitors, second terminals of which are to be DC coupled to said second phase-pump, and a third capacitor to be coupled to said second phase-pump through said first capacitor.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said voltage multiplier further comprises a second plurality of switches, one of which is to be coupled to said first port and another of which is to be coupled to said second port, said second plurality of switches comprising a first switch having a first terminal and a second terminal, and a second switch having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal of said second switch to be coupled to said second terminal of said first switch, wherein said voltage multiplier comprises a third capacitor-network network and a third-phase pump.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said third capacitor-network comprises a set of capacitors, each capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminals to be coupled to corresponding ones of selected nodes between pairs of said switches from said second plurality of switches, wherein said set of capacitors from said third charge storage network comprises first and second capacitors, second terminals of which are to be DC coupled to said third phase pump, and a third capacitor to be coupled to said third phase pump through said first capacitor.