Patent ID: 6160735
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
A negative voltage level shifter circuit for shifting an input signal of either a power supply voltage level or a reference voltage level to either the reference voltage level or a first negative voltage level comprising:first shift means which comprises a latch circuit and an inverter, the latch circuit being made up of two n-MOS transistors and two p-MOS transistors, and which shifts an input signal of the power supply voltage level to the power supply voltage level and shifts an input signal of the reference voltage level to a second negative voltage level;second shift means which comprises a latch circuit and an inverter, the latch circuit being made up of two n-MOS transistors and two p-MOS transistors and which shifts the second negative voltage level to the reference voltage level and shifts the reference voltage level to the first negative voltage level; andan inverter which shifts the power supply voltage level obtained by the first shift means to the second negative voltage level and shifts the second negative voltage level obtained by the first shift means to the reference voltage level and then feeds the resulting voltage level to the second shift means.