High voltage generation circuit

A high-voltage generation circuit, comprising:

• a high-voltage level detection means for detecting a level of high voltage and for generating a detected signal;
• a high-voltage pump control means for generating a control signal, responsive to the detected signal of the high-voltage level detection means;
• a plurality of high-voltage pumps;
• an oscillator, responsive to the control signal, for generating a pulse signal to activate the plurality of high-voltage pumps;
• and
• a sequential delay means having a multiplicity of delay elements for sequentially delaying the pulse signal from the oscillator, where each of the multiplicity of delay elements provides a delayed pulse signal,
• wherein the plurality of high-voltage pumps are configured to provide a high voltage under the control of the delayed pulse signal and the control signal from the high-voltage level detection means;
• wherein each pump in the plurality of high-voltage pumps includes:
• a first transmission gate, responsive to the control signal;
• a second transmission gate, responsive to the control signal,
• wherein the first and the second transmission gate are configured to selectively transmit an inverted signal for the sequentially delayed pulse signal by the sequential delay means;
• a first latch configured to latch signals fed thereto from the transmission gate;
• second latch configured to latch signals fed thereto from the second transmission gate;
• a first logic gate;
• a second logic gate,
• wherein the first logic gate performs a logic operation on an inverted signal for a latched signal by the first latch and the output processed at the second latch and the second logic gate, and the second logic gate performs a logic operation on the output of the second latch and an inverted signal for the output of the first logic gate;
• and
• a pumping means for pumping high voltage based on the outputs of first and second logic gates.