Four phase charge pump operable without phase overlap with improved efficiency

A charge pump comprising a plurality of serially connected cells for pumping and transferring charge along a series of nodes between the cells, each cell including:

• a) a charge transfer diode connected between adjacent nodes and responsive to an increasing charge at one node in response to a first clock, φ1, or a second anti-phase second clock, φ2,
• b) a charge transfer transistor connected between the adjacent nodes in parallel with the charge transfer diode and responsive to a third clock, φ3, within the period of clock φ1 or to a fourth clock φ4 within the period of clock φ2,
• c) a recovery transistor for equalizing charge on the control terminal of the charge transfer transistor to charge on the input node during a recovery period, and
• d) a pre charge diode coupling an input node to a control terminal of the charge transfer transistor to facilitate the conductance of the charge transfer transistor in response to the third clock (φ3) or the fourth clock (φ4),
• whereby each charge transfer diode transfers charge from one node to a next node in response to one of said first and second clocks (φ1 or φ2) and each charge transfer transistor transfers residual trapped charge at the one node to the next node while the charge transfer diode is conducting charge.