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US 5,636,115 AGranted
Voltage booster circuit
AssigneeSGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.A.
InventorSylvie Drouot
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A voltage booster circuit using at least one capacitor. This capacitor receives a clock signal at one terminal, and a second terminal of the capacitor is connected, firstly, to a supply terminal by means of a precharging transistor and, secondly, to an output by means of an insulation transistor. The disclosed device includes control circuits for controlling the transistors such that they are not on at the same time and such that the voltages that control them are greater than the highest potential present at their source or at their drain.
Claims44
A voltage booster circuit comprising:
- a first input terminal to receive an input supply voltage;
- an output terminal that provides a boosted output supply voltage greater than the input supply voltage;
- an oscillator providing a clock signal at an output;
- a first capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the output of the oscillator, and a second terminal;
- a first precharging transistor series-connected between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the first input terminal, a control gate of the first precharging transistor being coupled to a precharging signal so that the second terminal of the first capacitor is coupled to the first input terminal when the precharging signal is active;
- and
- an insulation transistor series-connected between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the output terminal to couple the second terminal of the first capacitor to the output terminal when a discharging signal is active;
- the discharging signal not being produced as a function of the boosted output supply voltage;
- and
- wherein the discharging signal, when it is active, is at a potential greater than a sum of a potential of the first input terminal and a highest potential of the clock signal.
7 more elements
A voltage booster circuit comprising:
- a first input terminal to receive an input supply voltage;
- an output terminal that provides a boosted output supply voltage greater than the input supply voltage;
- an oscillator providing a clock signal at an output;
- a first capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the output of the oscillator, and a second terminal;
- a first precharging transistor series-connected between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the first input terminal, a control gate of the first precharging transistor being coupled to a precharging signal so that the second terminal of the first capacitor is coupled to the first input terminal when the precharging signal is active;
- an insulation transistor series-connected between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the output terminal to couple the second terminal of the first capacitor to the output terminal when a discharging signal is active;
- precharging control means to produce the precharging signal in such a way that the precharging signal is active when the clock signal is inactive and the precharging signal is inactive when the clock signal is active;
- a second input terminal to receive a binary initialization signal;
- and
- the precharging control means includes a two-input NOR gate and a second capacitor, the NOR gate receiving the clock signal at a first input and the binary initialization signal at a second input, wherein an output of the NOR gate is coupled to a first terminal of the second capacitor, and wherein a second terminal of the second capacitor is coupled to a first terminal of an active element having a second terminal coupled to the first input terminal, the second terminal of the second capacitor also being coupled to the control gate of the first precharging transistor.
7 more elements
A voltage booster circuit comprising:
- a first input terminal to receive an input supply voltage;
- an output terminal that provides a boosted output supply voltage greater than the input supply voltage;
- an oscillator providing a clock signal at an output;
- a first capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the output of the oscillator, and a second terminal;
- a first precharging transistor series-connected between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the first input terminal, a control gate of the first precharging transistor being coupled to a precharging signal so that the second terminal of the first capacitor is coupled to the first input terminal when the precharging signal is active;
- an insulation transistor series-connected between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the output terminal to couple the second terminal of the first capacitor to the output terminal when a discharging signal is active;
- and
- discharge control means to produce the discharging signal in such a way that the discharging signal is active when the clock signal is active and is inactive when the clock signal is inactive;
- wherein the discharging control means includes a discharging circuit, the discharging circuit including:
- a first input to receive a first input clock signal;
- a second input to receive a second input clock signal;
- a first output to provide a first output clock signal;
- a second output to provide a second output clock signal;
- and wherein
- from the first input clock signal, the discharging circuit produces a pumped internal supply voltage;
- the second output clock signal is inactive when the second input clock signal is inactive and it passes to an active state with a certain delay after the second input clock signal passes to an active state;
- and
- the first output clock signal is at a potential of the pumped internal supply voltage when the second output clock signal is active, and at a reference potential provided by a third input terminal when the second output clock signal is inactive.
15 more elements
A voltage booster circuit comprising:
- an output that provides an output supply voltage that is greater than an input supply voltage;
- an oscillator providing a clock signal at a clock output;
- a first capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the output of the oscillator, and a second terminal;
- precharging means, coupled between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the input supply voltage, for coupling the second terminal of the first capacitor to the input supply voltage when a precharging signal is in an active state;
- and
- insulating means, coupled between the second terminal of the first capacitor and an output terminal, for coupling the second terminal of the first capacitor to the output terminal when a discharging signal is in an active state, and for insulating the second terminal of the first capacitor from the output terminal when the discharging signal is in an inactive state;
- the discharging signal not being produced as a function of the output supply voltage;
- and
- wherein the discharging signal, when it is active, is at a potential greater than a sum of a potential of the input supply voltage and a highest potential of the clock signal.
6 more elements
A voltage booster circuit comprising:
- an output that provides an output voltage that is greater than an input supply voltage;
- an oscillator having a clock output that provides a clock signal;
- a first capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the clock output of the oscillator, and having a second terminal;
- a precharging circuit, coupled between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the input supply voltage, that couples the second terminal of the first capacitor to the input supply voltage when a precharging signal is in an active state;
- and
- an insulation circuit, coupled between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the output, that couples the second terminal to the output when a discharging signal is in an active state;
- the discharging signal not being produced as a function of the output voltage;
- and
- wherein the discharging signal, when it is active, is at a potential greater than a sum of a potential of the input supply voltage and a highest potential of the clock signal.
6 more elements
A method of boosting an input voltage to provide a boosted output voltage greater than the input voltage, the method including steps of:
- preboosting an intermediate stage of a charge pump circuit to a voltage substantially equal to the input voltage when a clock signal is in an inactive state;
- boosting the intermediate stage to a voltage substantially equal to at least twice the input voltage when the clock signal is in an active state;
- and
- discharging the voltage in the intermediate stage to an output when a discharging control signal is in an active state wherein a voltage of the discharging control signal, when it is in the active state, is at a voltage greater than the voltage in the intermediate stage, so that the boosted output voltage at the output has a value of at least twice the input voltage.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.