High-voltage switching device and application to a non-volatile memory
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsCyrille Dray, Sigrid Thomas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high voltage switching device includes a switching circuit for switching a high voltage to an output line and for providing a control signal. The high voltage switching device also includes a switching transistor connected to the switching circuit for switching a low voltage to the output line based upon the control signal. The output signal is controlled by a control circuit that sets up a control loop between the drop in the gate voltage level of the switching transistor and the voltage level of the output line that is controlled by the switching circuit.
Claims38
A high voltage switching device comprising:
- a translator type switch for switching a high voltage to at least one capacitive type output line and for providing a control signal;
- a switching transistor connected to said translator type switch for switching a low voltage to the at least one capacitive type output line based upon the control signal, the control signal having a first level to turn said switching transistor off when said translator type switch applies the high voltage to the at least one capacitive type output line, and having a second level to turn said switching transistor on so that the low voltage is applied to the at least one capacitive type output line;
- and
- a control circuit connected to said translator type switch and to said switching transistor for providing a control loop for controlling a drop in voltage of the control signal applied to said switching transistor based upon a drop in voltage on the at least one capacitive type output line from the high voltage to the low voltage.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- at least one switching device connected to at least one output line and comprising
- a switching circuit for switching a high voltage to the at least one output line, and for providing a control signal;
- a switching transistor connected to said switching circuit for switching a low voltage to the at least one output line based upon the control signal, the control signal having a first level to turn said switching circuit off when said translator type switch applies the high voltage to the at least one output line, and a second level to turn said switching transistor on so that the low voltage is applied to the at least output line;
- and
- a control circuit connected to said switching circuit and to said switching transistor for providing a control loop for controlling a drop in voltage of the control signal applied to said switching transistor based upon a drop in voltage on the at least one output line from the high voltage to the low voltage;
- and
- a circuit connected to the at least one output line for receiving the high voltage or the low voltage.
A memory device comprising:
- at least one switching device connected to at least one memory cell selection line, and comprising
- a switching circuit for switching a high voltage to the at least one memory cell selection line, and for providing a control signal;
- a switching transistor connected to said switching circuit for switching a low voltage to the at least one memory cell selection lines based upon the control signal, the control signal having a first level to turn said switching transistor off when said switching circuit applies the high voltage to the at least one memory cell selection line, and a second level to turn said switching transistor on so that the low voltage is applied to the at least one output line;
- and
- a control circuit connected to said switching circuit and to said switching transistor for providing a control loop for controlling a drop in voltage of the control signal applied to said switching transistor based upon a drop in voltage on the at least one memory cell selection line from the high voltage to the low voltage;
- and
- a row of memory cells connected to the at least one memory cell selection line for receiving the high voltage or the low voltage.
A method for switching a high voltage and a low voltage to an output line using a switching circuit for switching the high voltage to the output line and for providing a control signal, and a switching transistor connected to the switching circuit for switching the low voltage to the output line based upon the control signal, the control signal having a first level to turn the switching transistor off when the switching circuit applies the high voltage to the output line, and having a second level to turn the switching transistor on so that the low voltage is applied to the output line, the method comprising:
- controlling a drop in voltage of the control signal applied to the switching transistor based upon a drop in voltage on the output line from the high voltage to the low voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.