Circuit for providing on-chip DC power supply in an integrated circuit
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsGlenn S. Claydon, Robert P. Alley, William J. Laughton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An on-chip DC power supply uses at least one series pass element which conducts responsive to a gating signal obtained by clamping an input potential to a preselected polarity and amplitude. A charge storage element serves to maintain an output voltage which is clamped to a predetermined maximum value. An output regulator provides a substantially constant second output voltage at a magnitude less than the output voltage set by the output clamping means.
Claims9
In a semiconductor circuit chip having circuitry requiring at least one DC operating potential, a power supply integratable upon said chip and, in conjunction with an external charge-storage element, acting upon the potential of an external source to provide the at least one required operating potential, comprising:
- a series-pass element having a control input and a controlled circuit enabled for conduction responsive to a gating signal at said control input and cooperating with the external charge-storage element to maintain an output voltage;
- first means for clamping a sample of the source potential to obtain said gating signal with a preselected polarity and maximum amplitude;
- and
- second means for clamping said output voltage to a predetermined maximum amplitude not less than a largest one of the at least one required operating potential.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.