Methods, devices, and systems for a high voltage tolerant buffer

A buffer, comprising:

• a primary pull-up pre-driver operably coupled to a primary pull-up transistor;
• a secondary pull-up pre-driver operably coupled to a secondary pull-up transistor;
• a primary pull-down pre-driver operably coupled to a primary pull-down transistor;
• and
• a secondary pull-down pre-driver operably coupled to a secondary pull-down transistor;
• wherein the primary pull-up pre-driver, the secondary pull-up pre-driver, the primary pull-down pre-driver, and the secondary pull-down pre-driver are each configured to provide a sufficiently low voltage to a gate of the transistor operably coupled thereto so as to sustain a gate dielectric integrity of the transistor, and wherein at least one of the secondary pull-up pre-driver and the secondary pull-down pre-driver comprises:
• an inverter having an input operably coupled to an input signal and an output operably coupled to a gate of a first transistor and a gate of a second transistor, wherein a drain of the first transistor is operably coupled to a supply voltage, a drain of the second transistor is operably coupled to a ground voltage, and a source of the first transistor is operably coupled to a source of the second transistor;
• and
• an output operably coupled between the source of the second transistor and the source of the first transistor.

A semiconductor device, comprising:

• at least one buffer comprising:
• a primary pull-up pre-driver configured to provide a sufficiently low first voltage to a primary pull-up transistor so as to sustain a gate dielectric integrity of the primary pull-up transistor;
• a secondary pull-up pre-driver configured to provide a sufficiently low second voltage to a secondary pull-up transistor so as to sustain a gate dielectric integrity of the secondary pull-up transistor;
• a primary pull-down pre-driver configured to provide a sufficiently low third voltage to a primary pull-down transistor so as to sustain a gate dielectric integrity of the primary pull-down transistor;
• and
• a secondary pull-down pre-driver configured to provide a sufficiently low fourth voltage to a secondary pull-down transistor so as to sustain a gate dielectric integrity of the secondary pull-down transistor,
• wherein at least one of the sufficiently low first voltage, the sufficiently low second voltage, the sufficiently low third voltage, or the sufficiently low fourth voltage is greater than or equal to a ground voltage and less than or equal to a supply voltage.

A buffer, comprising:

• a primary pull-up pre-driver adapted to drive a primary pull-up transistor;
• a secondary pull-up pre-driver adapted to drive a secondary pull-up transistor;
• a primary pull-down pre-driver adapted to drive a primary pull-down transistor;
• a secondary pull-down pre-driver adapted to drive a secondary pull-down transistor;
• and
• at least one clamping device, wherein at least one of a gate of the primary pull-up transistor, the secondary pull-up transistor, the primary pull-down transistor, or the secondary pull-down transistor is coupled to a clamping device of the at least one clamping device;
• wherein the primary pull-up pre-driver, the secondary pull-up pre-driver, primary pull-down pre-driver, and the secondary pull-down pre-driver are each adapted to drive the transistor operably coupled thereto with a sufficiently low voltage so as to sustain a gate dielectric integrity of the transistor.

A method of operating a buffer, the method comprising:

• providing a sufficiently low first voltage from a primary pull-up pre-driver to a gate of a primary pull-up transistor so as to sustain a gate dielectric integrity of the primary pull-up transistor;
• providing a sufficiently low second voltage from a secondary pull-up pre-driver to a gate of a secondary pull-up transistor so as to sustain a gate dielectric integrity of the secondary pull-up transistor;
• providing a sufficiently low third voltage from a primary pull-down pre-driver to a gate of a primary pull-down transistor so as to sustain a gate dielectric integrity of the primary pull-down transistor;
• providing a sufficiently low fourth voltage from a secondary pull-down pre-driver to a gate of a secondary pull-down transistor so as to sustain a gate dielectric integrity of the secondary pull-down transistor;
• and
• holding a bulk node of the secondary pull-down transistor to the lower of a source voltage of the secondary pull-down transistor and a drain voltage of the secondary pull-down transistor.