Charge pump circuit

A charge pump circuit, comprising:

• a plurality of input terminals;
• a plurality of output terminals;
• and
• a plurality of successively coupled charge pump circuit stages, coupled between said input terminals and said output terminals, each of said plurality of successively coupled charge pump circuit stages for receiving two input signals, and two clock signals, and for generating two respective output signals, which are supplied as input signals to an immediate adjacent circuit stage.

A charge pump circuit, comprising:

• a plurality of input terminals;
• a plurality of output terminals;
• and
• a plurality of successively coupled charge pump circuit stages, coupled between said input terminals and said output terminals, each of said plurality of successively coupled charge pump circuit stages for receiving a first input signal, a second input signal, a first clock input signal, and a second clock input signal, and in accordance therewith for generating a respective first output signal and a second output signal;
• wherein said plurality of successively coupled charge pump circuit stages are connected with a first output signal and a second output signal of one charge pump circuit stage supplied as a first input signal and a second input signal, respectively, of a next adjacent charge pump circuit stage;
• wherein said first clock input signal and second clock input signal supplied to the same charge pump circuit stage are complementary signals of one another with said second clock signal being larger in voltage amplitude than said first clock signal;
• and
• wherein said first clock input signal of one charge pump circuit stage is a complementary signal of said first clock input signal supplied to an immediate adjacent charge pump circuit stage.

A charge pump circuit, comprising:

• a plurality of successively connected charge pump circuit stages, each comprising:
• a first input terminal;
• a second input terminal;
• a first clock input terminal;
• a second clock input terminal;
• and
• a first capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of said first capacitor coupled to said first clock input terminal and the second terminal of said first capacitor coupled to said first input terminal to form a first node;
• a first field effect transistor and a second field effect transistor, each transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal with a channel therebetween, and a gate for controlling the flow of current between the first terminal and the second terminal;
• the first terminal of each of said first field effect transistor and said second field effect transistor coupled to said first node, the second terminal of said first field effect transistor coupled to a first output terminal and the second terminal of said second field effect transistor coupled to a second output terminal;
• and
• a second capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of said second capacitor coupled to said second clock signal input terminal and the second terminal of said second capacitor coupled to said second input terminal to form a second node, wherein the gate terminals of each of said first field effect transistor and said second field effect transistor are coupled to said second node.

A charge pump circuit comprising:

• a plurality of successively coupled charge pump circuit stages, each stage comprising
• two input terminals for receiving two input signals;
• two clock terminals for receiving two clock signals, one having a greater voltage than the other;
• means for boosting each of said input signals by clock signal to generate two boosted signals, one having a greater voltage than the other;
• switch means having two paths, each controlled by said one boosted signal for supplying the other boosted signal as two output signals;
• and
• said two output signals of one stage supplied as input signals to an immediate adjacent stage.

A method of boosting the voltage of a signal, said method comprising:

• connecting a plurality of successively coupled charge pump circuit stages, each stage having two inputs and two outputs, with the two outputs of one stage connected to the two inputs of an immediate adjacent stage;
• supplying two clock signals to each stage, with one of said clock signals having greater voltage than the other;
• supplying two input signals along said two inputs of a first stage;
• boosting each of said two input signals by a clock signal to generate two boosted signals, with one boosted signal having greater voltage than the other boosted signal;
• passing the other boosted signal through a switch, controlled by the one boosted signal, as the two output signals of the stage.