Patent ID: 8334713
Filing Date: 2012-12-18
Classification: G11C,H03L

Abstract:
1. A charge pumping circuit having a first mode and a second mode, the first mode being a mode where a control voltage is increased according to a charging control signal received from an external and where the control voltage is decreased according to a discharging control signal received from the external, the second mode being a mode where a correction operation is performed, the charge pumping circuit comprising: a charging pump capacitance for generating the control voltage; a charging unit for outputting a charging current via a first node according to the charging control signal in the first mode so as to charge the charging pump capacitance; a discharging unit for sinking a discharging current via a second node according to the discharging control signal in the first mode so as to discharge the charging pump capacitance; a detection resistor having one terminal and the other terminal, the one terminal being connected between the first node and the second node in the second mode; a voltage source for supplying a reference voltage to the other terminal of the detection resistor; and a correction unit for correcting the charging current output from the charging unit and the discharging current that is to be sunk by the discharging unit to equalize the charging current and the discharging current in the second mode, based on a difference between a voltage of the one terminal of the detection resistor and the reference voltage when the charging unit outputs the charging current to the one terminal of the detection resistor and the discharging unit sinks the discharging current from the one terminal of the detection resistor, wherein the charging unit comprises: a charging current source; a first switch which turns on according to the charging control signal so as to connect the first node to the charging current source; a third node for connecting the charging current source to the first switch; a first bias circuit; and a third switch for electrically connecting/disconnecting the third node to/from the first bias circuit, wherein the discharging unit comprises: a discharging current source; a second switch which turns on according to the discharging control signal so as to connect the second node to the discharging current source; a fourth node for connecting the discharging current source to the second switch; a second bias circuit; and a fourth switch for electrically connecting/disconnecting the fourth node to/from the second bias circuit, wherein the correction unit performs at least one of an operation of outputting a correction current to the third node and an operation of sinking a correction current from the fourth node in the second mode, based on the difference between the voltage of the one terminal of the detection resistor and the reference voltage when both the first switch and the second switch are on, wherein the charging unit outputs, as the charging current, a current output from the charging current source to the third node and the correction current output from the correction unit to the third node in the second mode, wherein the discharging unit sinks, as the discharging current, a current that is to be sunk from the fourth node by the discharging current source and the correction current that is to be sunk from the fourth node by the correction unit in the second mode, wherein the first bias circuit sinks a current not to charge the charging pump capacitance in the first mode when the third switch is on, wherein the second bias circuit outputs a current not to discharge the charging pump capacitance in the first mode when the fourth switch is on, and wherein the correction unit receives the voltage of the one terminal of the detection resistor and the reference voltage second mode when both the first switch and the second switch are on, and both the third switch and the fourth switch are off.