# US 9,438,104 B2 · Fast startup charge pump > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,104 B2 - Document ID: US9438104B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/732,581 - Filed: 2015-06-05 - Published: 2015-09-24 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-07 - Assignees: Smarter Microelectronics (Guang Zhou) Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Smarter Microelectronics (Guang Zhou) Co., Ltd - Inventors: Jun Ma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438104B2 ## CPC - H02M 3/07: using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} - H02M 1/36: Means for starting or stopping converters - H03F 3/195: in integrated circuits - H03F 3/213: in integrated circuits - H03F 2200/27: A biasing circuit node being switched in an amplifier circuit - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - H03F: AMPLIFIERS ## Abstract A charge pump is designed to be capable of quick start up. When the enable signal of the charge pump is arrived, the pump capacitor and the load capacitor of the charge pump can be charged in a short time, referred to as a pre-charging stage. During the normal working period, the pump capacitor and the output capacitor are controlled by the proper switch that is configured into the connection relationship that the charge pump can normally work in order to make the charge pump work normally. As a result of the pre-charge operation, embodiments disclosed herein can reduce the time of the output capacitor for reaching a steady state value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fast startup charge pump circuit, comprising: a charge pump; and an output stage; wherein the load of the charge pump, during the period of pre-charging time, that is, during the short period of time when the charge pump starts-up, switch (Spre) and switch (Spreb) are set as: once the charge pump is negative charge pump, the switch (Spre) is ON (having low-impedance), the switch (Spreb) is OFF (having high-impedance); once the charge pump is positive charge pump, the switch (Spre) is OFF (having high-impedance), the switch (Spreb) is ON (having low-impedance); once the pre-charging is over, the switch (Sper) and the switch (Spreb) are in the position that opposite to the state in the period of pre-charging time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the charge pump is a positive charge pump circuit or a negative charge pump circuit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the charge pump comprises repeating units connected to each other with a cascade configuration. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The circuit of claim 3, wherein the charge pump comprises a pump switch (Schg_n) and a pump capacitor (Cp_n), the pump switch (Schg_n) connects to the pump capacitor (Cp_n) in series through a node (Nc_n); wherein if a plurality of charge pumps are connected to each other, a terminal (Ns_n) of a pump switch (Schg_n) of a current charge pump stage is configured to be connected to a node (Nc_n−1) of a previous charge pump stage while the terminal (Ns_n) is not connected to the capacitor (Cp_n); a terminal (Nc_n) of a pump switch (Schg_n) of the current charge pump stage is configured to be connected to a node (Ns_n−1) of a next charge pump stage while the terminal (Nc_n) is connected to the capacitor (Cp_n). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein if the charge pump is a positive charge pump, a terminal (Ns_n) of a first stage charge pump (n=1) connects to a high-voltage side of a voltage source; if the charge pump is a negative charge pump, the terminal (Ns_n) of the first stage charge pump connects to a low-voltage side of the voltage source. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein after the pre-charging, a connecting terminal of the pump capacitor of the charge pump is controlled by a control line while this connecting terminal is not connected to a pump switch of the current charge pump stage, the control signal inputted to the control line is defined as symbol “ø”; and when the charge pumps are configured to be connected to each other in a multi-stage charge pump configuration, in the two adjacent charge pump stages, supplying one charge pump stage with a control signal that has an opposite-phase relation to a control signal of another charge pump stage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The circuit of claim 6, wherein after the pre-charging, a connecting terminal of the pump capacitor of the charge pump is controlled by a control line while this connecting terminal is not connected to a pump switch of the current charge pump stage, the control signal inputted to the control line is defined as symbol “ø”; and when the charge pumps are configured to be connected to each other in a multi-stage charge pump configuration, in the two adjacent charge pump stages, supplying one charge pump stage with a control signal that has a non-overlapping relation to a control signal of another charge pump stage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The circuit of claim 7, wherein if the switches (Schg_n) and the outputs (Sout) of all stages of the charge pumps are in a period of pre-charging time, they can be set in ON position instead of the “opposite-phase” or “non-overlapping”. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The circuit of claim 8, wherein at a positive charge pump, the switch (Spreb) is always OFF, or not exists in the circuit, correspondingly, the switch (Spre) is always ON, or replace the switch (Spre) with a conductive wire. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The circuit of claim 9, wherein an electronic device having the said circuit is manufactured by CMOS technology or SOI technology or BiCMOS technology. ### Claim 11 An electronic device, comprising a fast startup charge pump circuit including: a charge pump; and an output stage; wherein a load of the charge pump is the output stage for buffering an output voltage and for reducing a voltage ripple of a current supply (IL); comprising an output switch (Sout), a switch (Spre) for pre-charging, a switch (Spreb), load capacitor (CL) and a current supply (IL) of the analog output load; wherein the output switch (Sout), load capacitor (CL) and switch (Spre) are connected in series; the non-capacitance (CL) connection of Spre connects to the low-voltage end of the DC voltage source; one terminal of the switch (Spre) is configured to be connected to a low voltage side of a DC voltage source while this terminal of the switch (Spre) is not connected to the load capacitor (CL), one terminal of the output switch (Sout) is configured to be connected to a node (Nc_n) of the last charge pump stage while this terminal of the output switch (Sout) is not connected to the load capacitor (CL), one terminal of the switch (Spreb) is connected to a common node between the switch (Spre) and the load capacitor (CL), while another terminal of the switch (Spreb) is connected to a high voltage side of the DC voltage source, one terminal of the current source IL of the analog output load is connected to a common node between the output switch (Sout) and the load capacitor (CL), while another terminal of the current source IL is connected to the low voltage side of the DC voltage source. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is configured as an RF power amplifier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the electronic device further comprises an RF antenna switch controller. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the fast startup charge pump circuit and the RF antenna switch controller are formed over a common semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 15 An electronic system comprising a plurality of fast startup charge pump circuits, each circuit comprising: a charge pump; and an output stage; wherein a load of the charge pump is the output stage for buffering an output voltage and for reducing a voltage ripple of a current supply (IL); comprising an output switch (Sout), a switch (Spre) for pre-charging, a switch (Spreb), load capacitor (CL) and a current supply (IL) of the analog output load; wherein the output switch (Sout), load capacitor (CL) and switch (Spre) are connected in series; the non-capacitance (CL) connection of Spre connects to the low-voltage end of the DC voltage source; one terminal of the switch (Spre) is configured to be connected to a low voltage side of a DC voltage source while this terminal of the switch (Spre) is not connected to the load capacitor (CL), one terminal of the output switch (Sout) is configured to be connected to a node (Nc_n) of the last charge pump stage while this terminal of the output switch (Sout) is not connected to the load capacitor (CL), one terminal of the switch (Spreb) is connected to a common node between the switch (Spre) and the load capacitor (CL), while another terminal of the switch (Spreb) is connected to a high voltage side of the DC voltage source, one terminal of the current source IL of the analog output load is connected to a common node between the output switch (Sout) and the load capacitor (CL), while another terminal of the current source IL is connected to the low voltage side of the DC voltage source. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of fast startup charge pump circuits are connected in a cascade configuration. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of charge pumps comprises a pump switch (Schg_n) and a pump capacitor (Cp_n), the pump switch (Schg_n) connects to the pump capacitor (Cp_n) in series through a node (Nc_n); wherein if a plurality of charge pumps are connected to each other, a terminal (Ns_n) of a pump switch (Schg_n) of a current charge pump stage is configured to be connected to a node (Nc_n−1) of a previous charge pump stage while the terminal (Ns_n) is not connected to the capacitor (Cp_n); a terminal (Nc_n) of a pump switch (Schg_n) of the current charge pump stage is configured to be connected to a node (Ns_n−1) of a next charge pump stage while the terminal (Nc_n) is connected to the capacitor (Cp_n).