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US 2003/0164728 A1Published application
Capacitor charge sharing charge pump
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorGreg A. Blodgett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multiphase charge pump including first and second phase charge pump circuits. Each of the first and second phase charge pump circuits includes a bootstrap capacitor. The bootstrap capacitors are switchingly connected by an equalization circuit that periodically transfers charge from a discharging capacitor to a charging capacitor, thereby reducing the charge that must be externally supplied to charge the charging capacitor.
Claims23
A method of operating a charge pump, said method comprising:
- operating a first-phase circuit of said charge pump to produce an output voltage at an output terminal;
- operating a second phase circuit of said charge pump to produce an output voltage at said output terminal;
- said first and second phase circuit being operated out of phase with one another;
- and
- transferring charge between a driving side of a bootstrap capacitor of said first phase circuit and a driving side of a bootstrap capacitor of said second phase circuit during said operation.
2 more elements
A method of operating a charge pump having first and second bootstrap capacitors which are used to supply a pumped output voltage at an output terminal, said method comprising:
- charging a driving side of said first bootstrap capacitor to a first electrical potential;
- discharging a driving side of said second bootstrap capacitor to a second electrical potential;
- transferring a charge from said driving side of said first bootstrap capacitor to said driving side of said second bootstrap capacitor to charge said driving side of said second bootstrap capacitor to a third electrical potential;
- and
- charging said driving side of said second bootstrap capacitor from said third electrical potential to said first electrical potential.
2 more elements
A method of operating a multi-phase charge pump comprising:
- transferring charge from a first bootstrap capacitor of a first phase circuit to a second bootstrap capacitor of a second phase circuit so as to elevate a voltage across said second bootstrap capacitor;
- and
- further elevating said voltage across said second bootstrap capacitor by transferring charge from a power supply to said second bootstrap capacitor.
A method of increasing electrical voltage on a capacitor terminal comprising:
- connecting a first plate of a first capacitor to a source of a first potential;
- connecting a second plate of said first capacitor to a source of a second potential, said second potential being different from said first potential, whereby said second plate assumes said second potential;
- disconnecting said first and second plates from said respective sources and connecting said first plate to said source of said second potential, whereby said second plate assumes a third potential;
- extracting an electrical charge from said second plate at said third potential;
- connecting a third plate of a second capacitor to said source of said first potential;
- connecting a fourth plate of said second capacitor to said source of said second potential, whereby said fourth plate assumes said second potential;
- disconnecting said third and fourth plates from said respective sources and connecting said first plate of said first capacitor to said third plate of said second capacitor, whereby said third plate assumes a fourth potential, said fourth potential intermediate said first and second potentials;
- disconnecting said first plate from said third plate;
- and
- connecting said third plate to said source of said second potential, whereby said fourth plate assumes said third potential.
7 more elements
A method of increasing electrical voltage comprising:
- connecting a first plate of a first capacitor to a source of a first potential;
- connecting a second plate of said first capacitor to a source of a second potential, said second potential being higher than said first potential, whereby said second plate assumes said second potential;
- connecting said first plate to said source of said second potential, whereby said second plate assumes a third potential higher than said second potential;
- connecting a third plate of a second capacitor to said source of said first potential;
- connecting a fourth plate of said second capacitor to said source of said second potential, whereby said fourth plate assumes said second potential;
- connecting said first plate of said first capacitor to said third plate of said second capacitor, whereby said third plate assumes a fourth potential, said fourth potential intermediate said first and second potentials;
- and
- connecting said third plate to said source of said second potential, whereby said fourth plate assumes said third potential.
5 more elements
A method of operating a charge pump circuit comprising:
- repeatedly transferring a charge between first and second bootstrap capacitors of respective first and second charge pump circuits;
- and
- producing an output voltage that is elevated with respect to an input voltage in response to said repeated transfers.
A charge pump circuit comprising:
- four phase circuits, each of said phase circuits including a primary phase circuit and a respective ancillary phase circuit, said respective ancillary phase circuits each serving to control a transistor of said respective primary phase circuit, said four primary phase circuits operated out of phase with one another.
A method of operating a charge pump having two capacitors comprising:
- charging a first capacitor during a first time period;
- discharging said first capacitor into a second capacitor during a second time period;
- further charging said second capacitor during a third time period;
- and
- discharging said second capacitor into said first capacitor during a fourth time period.
2 more elements
A multi-phase charge pump comprising:
- a plurality of single phase charge pump circuits each including a respective bootstrap capacitor, at least two of said plurality operated in offset phase from one another;
- and
- a charge transfer circuit adapted to transfer charge between said at least two single phase charge pump circuits.
A charge pump circuit comprising:
- a first charge pump phase circuit including a first bootstrap capacitor containing stored energy;
- a second charge pump phase circuit including a second bootstrap capacitor;
- and
- a circuit for transferring energy from said first bootstrap capacitor to said second bootstrap capacitor to enable said second bootstrap capacitor to utilize energy previously stored in said first bootstrap capacitor to elevate a potential on said second bootstrap capacitor.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.