Dual-path charge pump
AssigneeSilicon Storage Technology, Inc.
InventorsNghia Nguyen, Hien Lai, Thoan Nguyen, Son Nguyen, Viet Nguyen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Examples of improved charge pumps are disclosed. In one example, a system comprises a first charge path comprising a first stage to boost an input voltage and a second stage to boost a voltage received from the first stage of the first charge path; and a second charge path comprising a first stage to boost an input voltage and a second stage to boost a voltage received from the first stage of the second charge path; wherein an output of the second stage of the first charge path is coupled to the first stage of the second charge path and an output of the second stage of the second charge path is coupled to the first stage of the first charge path.
Claims18
A system comprising:
- a first charge path comprising a first stage comprising a first boost transistor and a first pass transistor and a second stage comprising a second boost transistor and a second pass transistor, wherein the first stage of the first charge path boosts an input voltage and the second stage of the first charge path boosts a voltage received from the first stage of the first charge path;
- and
- a second charge path comprising a first stage comprising a third boost transistor and a third pass transistor and a second stage comprising a fourth boost transistor and a fourth pass transistor, wherein the first stage of the second charge path boosts an input voltage and the second stage of the second charge path boosts a voltage received from the first stage of the second charge path;
- wherein an output of the second stage of the first charge path is coupled to a gate of the third boost transistor and an output of the second stage of the second charge path is coupled to a gate of the first boost transistor.
A method comprising:
- boosting a first voltage, by a first stage in a first charge path, to generate a second voltage, the first stage in the first charge path comprising a first boost transistor and a first pass transistor;
- boosting the second voltage, by a second stage in the first charge path, to generate a third voltage;
- boosting a fourth voltage, by a first stage in a second charge path, to generate a fifth voltage, the first stage in the second charge path comprising a second boost transistor and a second pass transistor;
- boosting the fifth voltage, by a second stage in the second charge path, to generate a sixth voltage;
- applying the third voltage to a gate of the second boost transistor in the first stage of the second charge path;
- and
- applying the sixth voltage to a gate of the first boost transistor in the first stage of the first charge path.
A system comprising:
- a first charge path comprising (i+1) boost stages, where i>1, each of the boost stages in the first charge path comprising a boost transistor and a pass transistor;
- and
- a second charge path comprising (i+1) boost stages, each of the boost stages in the second charge path comprising a boost transistor and a pass transistor;
- wherein the first charge path and the second charge path receive an input voltage and generate an output voltage greater than the input voltage;
- and
- wherein an output of boost stage (N+1) of the first charge path is coupled to a gate of the boost transistor of boost stage N of the second charge path and an output of boost stage (N+1) of the second charge path is coupled to a gate of the boost transistor of boost stage N of the first charge path, where 1≤N≤i.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.