US 7,466,183 B2 · Level shift circuit

Abstract

The present invention discloses a level shift circuit and a control pulse shaping unit therewith. A level shift circuit for transition of a low-voltage input signal into a high-voltage output signal, the circuit comprising two pairs of transistors and a control unit. Two pairs of transistors, wherein the transistors in one of the pairs are both turned on in response to the input signal so that a voltage on a reference voltage node is coupled to a gate of one of the transistors in the other pair; a control unit decoupling a reference voltage from the reference voltage node during a first phase, and partially and fully coupling the reference voltage to the reference voltage node respectively during a second and third phases.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A level shift circuit for conversion of a low-voltage input signal into a high-voltage output signal, the circuit comprising:

two pairs of transistors, having an input node for receiving the low-voltage input signal, an output node for outputting the high-voltage signal, and a reference voltage node;
and
a control unit, comprising:
a first transistor having a source electrically connected to a first reference voltage, a gate electrically connected to receive a control signal, and a drain electrically connected to the reference voltage node;
and
a control pulse shape unit generating a control signal for controlling the first transistor to decouple the first reference voltage from the reference voltage node during a first phase, and partially and fully couple the first reference voltage to the reference voltage node respectively during a second and third phases.

3 more elements

A method for conversion of a low-voltage input signal into a high-voltage output signal using at least two pairs of transistors having an input node for receiving the low-voltage input signal, an output node for outputting the high-voltage signal, and a reference voltage node, the method comprising the steps of:

utilizing a control pulse shaping unit to generate a control signal;
and
controlling a fifth transistor, having a source electrically connected to a second reference voltage, a sate electrically connected to receive the control signal and a drain electrically connected to the reference voltage node, according the control signal for decoupling the second reference voltage from the reference voltage node during a first phase, and partially and fully coupling the second reference voltage to the reference voltage node respectively during a second and third phases.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Level shift circuit

Life of this patent

Level shift circuit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18