Patent ID: 6545529
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: H02M

Abstract:
A high voltage generating circuit, comprising:a clock signal generator that generates a plurality of clock signals upon receipt of an oscillation signal; a second clock generator that generates a plurality of additional clock signals upon receipt of a clock signal from the clock signal generator; and a pump circuit that alternately performs pumping and pre-charging operations according to the clock signals and the additional clock signals from the clock signal generator and the second clock generator, respectively, to output a pumping voltage, wherein the pump circuit comprises, first and second pump stages that each alternately perform stage pumping and stage pre-charging operations according to selected ones of the plurality of clock signals and the additional clock signals, and a pre-charge stage that pre-charges the first pump stage to a power supply level according to one of the additional clock signals, wherein each of the pump stages comprises, first and second pumps, each having a pumping capacitor that alternately performs one of the stage pumping and the stage pre-charging operations during a first clock cycle of the pump circuit, and a charge transfer switch coupled between the first and second pumps to transfer the charge of an input node of the pumping capacitor having performed the stage pumping operation to the input node of the pumping capacitor having performed the stage pre-charging operation before the first clock cycle of the pump circuit is completed.