Apparatuses and methods for charge pump regulation
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsFeng Pan, Michele Piccardi
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Abstract
Certain embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus comprising a charge pump, configured to provide an output voltage at an output node of the charge pump, and a charge pump regulator circuit coupled to the charge pump. One such charge pump regulator circuit is configured to control the charge pump to increase the output voltage during a first period of time. Such a charge pump regulator circuit can also cause a node of a circuit coupled to the output node of the charge pump to reach a target voltage level during a second time period.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a charge pump configured to provide an output voltage at an output node of the charge pump;
- and
- a charge pump regulator circuit coupled to the charge pump, the charge pump regulator circuit configured to output a regulator output signal, measure a time period beginning when the output node of the charge pump reaches a target voltage level, and change a logical value of the regulator output signal until a voltage at a node of a load circuit reaches the target voltage level during the time period.
A method comprising:
- receiving an increasing output voltage of a charge pump configured to provide a target voltage level to a load circuit;
- comparing a feedback voltage based, at least in part, on the increasing output voltage to a reference voltage;
- and
- when a level of the feedback voltage is determined to be equal to or greater than a level of the reference voltage, lowering, until a time period elapses, the feedback voltage to a level less than a level of a reference voltage.
A method comprising:
- increasing an output voltage of a charge pump until the output voltage of the charge pump reaches a target voltage level;
- and
- when the output voltage of the charge pump reaches the target voltage level, controlling the output voltage to remain at the target voltage level for a period of time until a voltage at a target node of a load circuit reaches the target voltage level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.