Patent ID: 7327615
Filing Date: 2008-02-05
Classification: G11C,H03K

Abstract:
1. An electric potential switching circuit comprising: a reference electric potential control circuit configured to generate a reference electric potential associated with an operation mode of a flash memory; an output circuit separate from said reference electric potential control circuit and configured to receive said reference electric potential and to generate at an output terminal an output electric potential corresponding to said reference electric potential when enabled, and configured to set said output terminal to a high impedance state when disenabled; and a precharge circuit connected to said output circuit, wherein said output circuit is disenabled when said operation mode is switched from a first mode to a second mode, said reference electric potential control circuit switches said reference electric potential from a first electric potential associated with said first mode to a second electric potential associated with said second mode while said output circuit is disenabled at a time when said operation mode is switched, and said precharge circuit precharges said output terminal in response to said reference electric potential while said output circuit is disenabled.