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US 5,946,258 AGranted
Pump supply self regulation for flash memory cell pair reference circuit
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsJeff Evertt, Kerry Tedrow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit arrangement which provides a self regulated pump supply for a flash EEPROM memory cell pair reference circuit. The integrated circuit arrangement comprises: a charge pump circuit; a source of reference voltages; a comparator for comparing an output of the charge pump with a reference voltage and for operating the charge pump based on its output; and a pass device for coupling an output of the charge pump to the comparator.
Claims24
A circuit providing pump supply self regulation, said circuit comprising:
- a reference circuit coupled to a charge pump circuit, wherein said charge pump circuit furnishes a pump output voltage at its output terminal, and said reference circuit furnishes a reference voltage and an control voltage;
- a pass device comprising an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal, said pass device coupled to an output terminal of said charge pump at said input terminal, and passing said pump output voltage based on voltage potential of said control voltage which is coupled to said control terminal of said pass device;
- a voltage divider circuit coupled to said output terminal of said pass device and a ground potential, and furnishing a divided voltage;
- and
- a comparison circuit coupled to said charge pump, wherein said comparison circuit compares potential of said divided voltage and potential of said reference voltage and operates said charge pump in response to differences between said divided voltage and said reference voltage.
2 more elements
A method of providing pump supply self regulation, said method comprising the steps:
- generating a pumped supply output voltage from a charge pump;
- generating a reference voltage from a reference circuit;
- controlling a coupling between said pumped supply output voltage to a voltage divider;
- dividing said pumped supply output voltage with said voltage divider into a divided output voltage;
- comparing said divided output voltage with a reference voltage;
- and
- controlling operation of said charge pump based on result of a comparison of said divided output voltage with said reference voltage.
4 more elements
A computer system, comprising:
- a central processor;
- a system bus coupled to said processor;
- a main memory coupled to said system bus;
- and
- a programmable non-volatile long term memory coupled to said system bus, further comprising
- a flash EEPROM memory array;
- a flash EEPROM memory cell pair reference circuit for furnishing reference voltages for operating said flash EEPROM memory array;
- and
- a circuit providing pump supply self regulation that further comprises
- a charge pump circuit coupled to a reference circuit, wherein said charge pump furnishes a pump output voltage at its output terminal, and said reference circuit furnishes a reference voltage and a control voltage;
- a pass device comprising an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal, said pass device coupled to an output terminal of said charge pump at said input terminal, and passing said pump output voltage based on voltage potential of said control voltage which is coupled to said control terminal of said pass device
- a voltage divider circuit coupled to said output terminal of said pass device and a ground potential, and furnishing a divided voltage;
- and
- a comparison circuit coupled to said charge pump, wherein said comparison circuit compares potential of said divided voltage and potential of said reference voltage and operates said charge pump in response to difference between said divided voltage and said reference voltage.
11 more elements
A method of regulating a pump supply, said method comprising the steps:
- generating a pumped supply output voltage from a charge pump;
- generating a reference voltage from a reference circuit coupled to said charge pump;
- coupling said pumped supply output voltage to a first input of a comparator, wherein output of said comparator is coupled to said charge pump;
- coupling said reference voltage to a second input of said comparator;
- comparing said pumped supply output voltage with said reference voltage;
- and
- controlling operation of said charge pump based on result of comparison of said pumped supply voltage and said reference voltage.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.