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US 9,755,617 B2Granted
Methods and apparatuses for driving a node to a pumped voltage
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorMarco Sforzin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for driving a node to one or more elevated voltages. One example apparatus includes a first driver circuit configured to drive a node to a first voltage, and a second driver circuit configured to drive the node to a pumped voltage after the node reaches a voltage threshold. The apparatus also includes a controller circuit configured to disable the first driver circuit and enable the second driver circuit responsive to the node reaching the voltage threshold.
Claims27
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first driver circuit configured to drive a node to a first voltage;
- a second driver circuit configured to drive the node to a pumped voltage after the node reaches a voltage threshold;
- and
- a controller circuit configured to disable the first driver circuit and enable the second driver circuit responsive to the node reaching the voltage threshold, the controller circuit including a diode used to provide the voltage threshold that is less than the first voltage.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first driver circuit configured to drive a node between standard high level and low level voltages;
- a second driver circuit configured to drive the node to a pumped voltage;
- and
- a controller circuit configured to compare a voltage of the node to a reference voltage to selectively enable the first and second driver circuits based on the comparison, wherein the reference voltage is a first voltage responsive to the node being driven to a high level voltage and the reference voltage is a second voltage responsive to the node being driven to a low level voltage.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- an output voltage driver circuit configured to drive a node responsive to an input signal, the output voltage driver circuit comprising:
- an intermediate-voltage driver configured to drive the node to an intermediate voltage via a standard power source;
- and
- a pumped-voltage driver configured to drive the node to a pumped voltage via a charge pump;
- and
- a controller circuit configured to provide a control signal to the output voltage driver circuit responsive to the node attaining a voltage threshold, the controller circuit including a diode used to provide the voltage threshold that is less than the intermediate voltage.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing an output node a first voltage or a second voltage using a first driver circuit coupled to a first power source;
- and
- responsive to the node reaching a voltage threshold less than the first voltage, driving the output node to a pumped voltage using a second driver circuit coupled to a second power source, wherein the voltage threshold is a first voltage threshold responsive to providing the node the first voltage and the reference voltage is a second voltage threshold different than the first voltage threshold responsive to providing the node the second voltage.
A method, comprising:
- providing a voltage to a node to drive the node to a high level voltage threshold using a first driver circuit based on a changing input signal, wherein the high level voltage threshold is less than the provided voltage;
- responsive to the node having a voltage greater than or equal to the high level voltage threshold, disabling the first driver circuit to cease driving the node and enabling a second driver circuit to continue driving the node to a pumped high level voltage;
- driving the node to a low level voltage threshold using the first driver based on the changing input signal;
- responsive to the node having a voltage less than or equal to a reference low level voltage, enabling the second driver circuit to continue driving the node to a pumped low level voltage;
- and
- generating the reference voltage in a hysteresis circuit using a diode based on whether the node is being driven to the pumped high level voltage or driven to the pumped low level voltage.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.