High voltage ring pump with inverter stages and voltage boosting stages

• US 9,354,654 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US14/230,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 327/536, 363/59, 363/60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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.

2. The charge pump element according to claim 1, wherein each pump block comprises:

a full-wave bridge rectifier; and

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

3. The charge pump element according to claim 2, wherein the driving circuit comprises a first capacitor connected to the first internal voltage input of the at least one pump block and a second capacitor connected to the second internal voltage input of the at least one pump block.

4. The charge pump element according to claim 3, wherein the driving circuit further comprises:

an odd number of additional inverters, serially connected to each other, wherein the odd number of additional inverters is connected to the inverter output terminal on one end and to the first capacitor on another end; and

an even number of additional inverters, serially connected to each other, wherein the even number of additional inverters is connected to the inverter output terminal on one end and to the second capacitor on another end.

5. A method for boosting voltage using a plurality of coupled charge pump elements, comprising:

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.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein each of the first and second oscillating signals is either at a first voltage state or a second voltage state.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the pump block output voltage of each pump block is based on a difference between the first oscillating signal and the second oscillating signal coupled to that pump block.

8. A circuital arrangement adapted to provide voltage to a load circuit, comprising a plurality of charge pump elements, each charge pump element comprising:

(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.

9. The circuital arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the input voltage to the inverter of a first charge pump element of the plurality of charge pump elements is provided by the complementary output voltage of a last charge pump of the plurality of charge pump elements.

10. The circuital arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the input voltage to the inverter of a charge pump element other than the first charge pump element of the plurality of charge pump elements is provided by the complementary output voltage of a previous charge pump element of the plurality of charge pump elements.

11. The circuital arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the input voltage to the pump block of a charge pump element other than a first charge pump element of the plurality of charge pump elements is provided by the output voltage of the pump block of a previous charge pump element of the plurality of charge pump elements.