Charge pump circuit

• US 7,078,956 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1995
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co. Ltd. (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co. Ltd. (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Joo Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Cunningham, Terry D.
• Application Number:
  US08/576,902
• Time in Patent Office: 3,861 Days
• Field of Search: 327/536, 327/537, 327/589, 307/49
• US Class Current: 327/536
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/073 Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type
• 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 charge pump circuit is disclosed which can perform high pumping by changing the condition of connection of the charge pump circuit by connecting a serial and parallel switching circuit and a level shift circuit between unit charge pumps to construct the charge pump circuit.

Claims

1. A charge pump circuit comprising:

a supply power source;

a first unit charge pump, supplied with an operating voltage from said supply power source, operating to perform a pumping operation according to clock signals;

a second unit charge pump, supplied with an operating voltage from said supply power source, operating to perform a pumping operation according to said clock signals;

at least one switching circuit electrically connected between said first and second unit charge pumps, operating to selectively transfer an output of said first unit charge pump to an input terminal or output terminal of said second unit charge pump according to control signals;

an auxiliary pumping circuit, operating to generate an output signal according to said clock signals; and

a level shift circuit coupled between said switching circuit and said auxiliary pumping circuit, wherein said level shift circuit generates said control signals according to said output signal of said auxiliary pumping circuit and another control signal.

2. A charge pump circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switching circuit comprises a first switching means for connecting an output terminal of said first unit charge pump to said input terminal of said second charge pump, and a second switching means for connecting said output terminal of said first unit charge pump to said output terminal of said second unit charge pump.

3. A charge pump circuit comprising:

a power supply power source;

a first unit charge pump, supplied with an operating voltage from said supply power source, operating to performed a pumping operation according to clock signals;

a second unit charge pump, supplied with an operating voltage from said supply power source, operating to perform a pumping operation according to said clock signals;

at least one switching circuit electrically connected between said first and second unit charge pumps, operating to selectively transfer an output of said first unit charge pump to an input terminal or an output terminal of said second unit charge pump according to control signals;

an auxiliary pumping circuit to generate an output signal according to said clock signals; and

a level shift circuit electrically coupled between said switching circuit and said auxiliary pumping circuit, said level shift circuit operating to generate said control signals which are inverted with respect to each other according to said output signal of said auxiliary pumping circuit and another control signal.

4. A charge pump circuit, comprising:

a supply power source;

a first unit charge pump, supplied with an operating voltage from said supply power, operating to perform a pumping operation according to clock signals;

a second unit charge pump, supplied with the operating voltage from said supply power source and operating to perform a pumping operation according to said clock signals;

a switching circuit, electrically connected to said first and second unit charge pumps and configured to selectively transfer an output of said first unit charge pump to an input terminal or an output terminal of said second unit charge pump according to two control signals;

an auxiliary pumping circuit configured to generate an output signal according to said clock signals; and

a level shift circuit coupled between said switching circuit and said auxiliary pumping circuit, operating to generate said control signals which are inverted relative to each other according to said output signal of said auxiliary pumping circuit and another control signal.

5. The circuit as in claim 4, wherein said switching circuit comprises a first switching means for connecting an output terminal of said first unit charge pump to said input terminal of said second unit charge pump, and a second switching means for connecting said output terminal of said first unit charge pump to said output terminal of said second unit charge pump.

6. A charge pump circuit, comprising:

a supply power source;

a first unit charge pump, supplied with an operating voltage from said supply power source and performing a first pumping operation according to clock signals;

a second unit charge pump, supplied with an operating voltage from said supply power source and performing a second pumping operation according to said clock signals;

a first switching circuit for selectively transferring an output of said first unit charge pump to an input terminal or output terminal of said second unit charge pump according to first control signals;

a third unit charge pump, supplied with an operating voltage from said supply power source and performing a third pumping operation according to said clock signals;

a second switching circuit for selectively transferring an output of said second unit charge pump to an input terminal or output terminal of said third unit charge pump according to second control signals;

a fourth unit charge pump, supplied with an operating voltage from said supply power source and performing a fourth pumping operation according to said clock signals;

a third switching circuit for selectively transferring an output of said third unit charge pump to an input terminal or output terminal of said fourth unit charge pump according to third control signals;

an auxiliary pumping circuit to generate an output signal according to said clock signals;

a first level shift circuit coupled between said first switching circuit and said auxiliary pumping circuit, operating to generate said first control signals according to said output signal of said auxiliary pumping circuit and a fourth control signal;

a second level shift circuit coupled between said second switching circuit and said auxiliary pumping circuit, operating to generate said second control signals according to said output signal of said auxiliary pumping circuit and a fifth control signal; and

a third level shift circuit coupled between said third switching circuit and said auxiliary pumping circuit, operating to generate said third control signals according to said output signal of said auxiliary pumping circuit and a sixth control signal.

7. A circuit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said switching circuit comprises a first switching means for connecting an output terminal of said first unit charge pump to said input terminal of said second charge pump, and a second switching means for connecting said output terminal of said first unit charge pump to said output terminal of said second unit charge pump.

8. A circuit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second switching circuit comprises a first switching means for connecting said output terminal of said second unit charge pump to said input terminal of said third charge pump, and a second switching means for connecting said output terminal of said second unit charge pump to said output terminal of said third unit charge pump.

9. A circuit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said third switching circuit comprises a first switching means for connecting said output terminal of said third unit charge pump to said input terminal of said fourth charge pump, and a second switching means for connecting said output terminal of said third unit charge pump to said output terminal of said fourth unit charge pump.