Mitigating reliability issues in a low-voltage reference buffer driven by a high-voltage circuit

A method of driving a buffer circuit, comprising:

• powering a voltage reference circuit from a relatively higher voltage;
• generating, with the buffer circuit, a relatively lower voltage as compared to the relatively higher voltage, the lower voltage being based on a voltage reference value output from the voltage reference circuit;
• and
• preventing the higher voltage from reaching an input of the buffer circuit, wherein the preventing comprises opening a first switch coupled between an output of the voltage reference circuit and the input of the buffer circuit.

An electronic circuit comprising:

• a voltage reference circuit configured to be powered by a relatively higher voltage;
• a buffer circuit configured to generate a relatively lower voltage as compared to the relatively higher voltage;
• a first switch coupled between an output of the voltage reference circuit and an input of the buffer circuit;
• and
• a second switch coupled between the input of the buffer circuit and a reference potential node for the electronic circuit.