Patent Abstract:
An open-drain output buffer is operative to sustain relatively high voltages applied to an output pad. The open-drain buffer includes a number of floating wells, output switching devices and corresponding well-bias selectors to ensure that no gate oxide sustains voltages greater than a predefined value. PMOS and NMOS well-bias selectors operate to select and provide an available highest or lowest voltage, respectively, to bias corresponding well-regions and ensure no device switching terminals are electrically over stressed. As output related terminals experience switching related voltage excursions, the well-bias selectors select alternate terminals to continue selection of the respective highest or lowest voltages available and provide correct well-biasing conditions. Voltage dividers are incorporated to generate well-biasing control voltages. By electrical coupling across maximal voltages, the voltage dividers generate reference voltages that induce proper selection of well-bias voltages to the floating wells.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/964,467, filed Dec. 26, 2007, and entitled “Open Drain Output Buffer for Single-Voltage-Supply CMOS,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to electronic circuits, and more particularly to an open-drain output buffer adapted to operate at relatively high voltages. 
         [0003]    To realize manufacturing and economical leverages, topological geometries of semiconductor devices have been continually scaled downward across successive product generations. Supply voltages for semiconductors have correspondingly scaled downward, at least in part, to maintain consistent working voltages across materials, such as gate oxides. Historically a 0.35 micron (μm) technology has incorporated a 3.3 Volt (V) supply voltage and correspondingly, 0.18 μm and 0.13 μm technology generations have used 1.8 V and 1.2 V supplies, respectively. Maintaining consistent maximal operating voltages is necessary to avoid over-voltage conditions across electrical terminals that expose corresponding materials to electric field magnitudes that would cause material breakdown and device failure. The challenge of maintaining operating voltages within electrical limits of material properties comes at the input and output terminals of the semiconductor device. The input and output terminals are where an operating voltage region of a first device interacts with the voltage region of a second device. The device most challenged is the one operating in a lower voltage region. During electrical switching between the two operating voltage regions, the first device, operating at the lower voltage, experiences voltage from the second voltage region that may exceed operational voltage limits of the first device. During voltage excursions to the upper logic levels of the second device, over-voltage conditions in the first device are likely to cause exposed materials to fail. 
         [0004]    Output buffers with open-drain pull-down transistors are typically used for attachment to common buses with other transistors (usually in another package). A single voltage supply point, perhaps with a pull-up resistor to a power source, provides the highest logic level required by any switching transistor on the bus. Output buffers with open-drain pull-down transistors are commonly fabricated in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes. As an output terminal of an open-drain CMOS buffer turns off, pull-down transistors are switched off and buffer terminals remain in electrical connection with the output pad. An open-drain buffer of the first transistor (as above) experiences a high voltage level corresponding to an upper logic level voltage coming from the second transistor. The magnitude of the high logic-level of the second transistor, when applied to terminals of the first transistor may provide voltages that exceed the operating voltages and maximum sustainable voltages for particular materials in the first transistor. To avoid damage, the pull-down transistors have to be maintained in a semiconductor well provided with a voltage equal to the voltage provided by the second transistor and no gate oxide of a switching transistor may be exposed to a voltage causing failure of the gate. To avoid material breakdown, transistors exposed to elevated external voltages have been placed within a well provided with voltage near the switching voltage levels. 
         [0005]    Typically, designers have found ways of providing a biasing voltage level to a substrate well encompassing a given switching transistor exposed to a relatively higher voltage region. Presuming that no explicit connection to the higher voltage region exists for the first transistor, a designer has been faced with utilizing some means of providing a path from the external voltage source to provide biasing to a well-region isolated from the well-regions operating at the native voltage-region level. Often the isolated or floating well-region is coupled to the output pad by a coupling transistor having a conductance characteristic provided and triggered by the elevated external voltage level. The coupling transistor provides an electrical path to the floating well providing the external voltage level as a well bias. This technique has been limited to a relative voltage level of about two times the operating voltage (VDD) of the first transistor. In order to provide a broader possible range of interface voltage interactions between semiconductor transistors, a means of allowing a greater range of disparity between voltage regions being switched to-and-from would be desirable. It would also be desirable to have a way of incorporating the voltage level of the external region and yet, still incorporate the floating well principle, and at the same time allow continued use of less expensive process technologies for the implementation of the interface transistor. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention is an open-drain output buffer for electrical communication with external voltage regions and associated signaling levels substantially greater than the native supply voltage level of the buffer. The buffer is disposed between a supply voltage terminal and a ground terminal. The output buffer has, in one embodiment, three transistors coupled in series from an output pad to ground. The three transistors may be NMOS transistors configured to electrically couple the output pad to the ground terminal. In order to withstand external voltage levels in excess of the native supply voltage level, output buffer transistors exposed to the elevated voltage levels are situated within the floating wells such that no gate oxide of any transistor, in the present embodiment, is exposed to greater than a predefined value, such as 1.2 V in some embodiment. 
         [0007]    Well-bias selectors couple to an associated one of the floating wells and provide a reverse bias voltage to the associated floating well. For the floating wells including PMOS transistors, the corresponding well-bias selectors select a highest voltage available to provide a correct reverse bias level for the included transistors. Floating wells and well bias selectors may be, as in the present embodiment, cascaded in order that elevated voltage accommodation may be additive. Cascading allows the output buffer to withstand external voltages in excess of 2 times the native supply voltage level. In a similar yet complementary fashion the well-bias selector for the floating well including NMOS transistors is configured to select and provide a reverse bias voltage that is the lesser of two available voltages. Well bias selectors are connected to input terminals that range in voltage according to electrical signaling on the output pad. As a signal level present on the output pad transitions from a low level, such as ground potential, to a high-level voltage the well bias selectors alternate selection of input bias in order to maintain either the highest or lowest available voltage for reverse biasing the floating wells for PMOS or NMOS transistors respectively. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an output buffer according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an open-drain output buffer  100 , in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Open-drain output buffer (hereinafter alternatively referred to as buffer)  100  is shown as including, in part, transistors  105 ,  107 , and  109  disposed between output pad OUT and the ground terminal GND. Buffer  100  is also shown as including voltage dividers  130 ,  145 , and bias selectors  110 ,  112 , and  120 . As described further below, buffer  100  is adapted to receive relatively high voltages, e.g., 3.3 v, at output pad OUT while maintaining proper voltages, e.g., 1.2 v, between the terminals of each of the transistors disposed in buffer  100 . With reference to  FIG. 1 , an output terminal of transistor  105  couples to output pad OUT in an exemplary embodiment of buffer  100 . Transistor  105 , transistor  107 , and transistor  109  couple in series between output pad OUT and ground terminal  102 . A gate input terminal of transistor  107  couples to supply-voltage terminal  101 . A gate input terminal of transistor  109  couples to input pad IN. 
         [0010]    Voltage-divider  130  couples between output pad OUT and supply-voltage terminal  101 . Voltage-divider  130  includes transistors  140   a , 140   b , and output terminal  135 . Native transistors are used where a low threshold improves biasing response for voltage dividers or well-bias selectors (further described below). The lower threshold voltage ensures that the voltage divider or well-bias selector is enabled and provides a reverse bias voltage to an associated floating-well as soon as possible. Native transistors are shown including a diagonal pattern in channel regions. A source terminal of transistor  140   a  couples to output pad OUT. A gate terminal and a drain terminal of transistor  140   a  couple to output terminal  135 . A source terminal of transistor  140   b  couples to output terminal  135 . A drain terminal of transistor  140   b  couples to supply-voltage terminal  101 . Output terminal  135  couples to a gate terminal of transistor  105 . 
         [0011]    Voltage-divider  145  couples between supply-voltage terminal  101  and ground terminal  102 . Voltage-divider  145  includes transistor  155   a , transistor  155   b , and voltage-divider-output terminal  150 . A drain terminal and a gate terminal of transistor  155   a  couple to supply-voltage terminal  101 . A source terminal of transistor  155   a  couples to voltage-divider-output terminal  150 . A drain terminal and a gate terminal of transistor  155   b  couple to voltage-divider-output terminal  150 . A source terminal of transistor  155   b  couples to ground terminal  102 . A bulk terminal of transistor  155   a  and a bulk terminal of transistor  155   b  couple to ground terminal  102 . 
         [0012]    Well-bias selector  110  is coupled between output pad OUT and output terminal  135 . Well-bias selector  110  includes transistors  115   a , 115   b , and well-bias terminal  190 . A source terminal of transistor  115   a  and a gate terminal of transistor  115   b  couple to output pad OUT. A drain terminal of transistor  115   a  and a source terminal of transistor  115   b  couple to well-bias terminal  190 . A drain terminal of transistor  115   b  and a gate terminal of transistor  115   a  couple to output terminal  135 . 
         [0013]    Well-bias selector  112  is coupled between output terminal  135  and supply-voltage terminal  101 . Well-bias selector  112  includes transistors  117   a , 117   b , and well-bias terminal  192 . A source terminal of transistor  117   a  and a gate terminal of transistor  117   b  couple to output terminal  135 . A drain terminal of transistor  117   a  and a source terminal of transistor  117   b  couple to well-bias terminal  192 . A drain terminal of transistor  117   b  and a gate terminal of transistor  117   a  are coupled to supply-voltage terminal  101 . 
         [0014]    Transistor  160  is coupled between output terminal  135  and supply-voltage terminal  101 . A gate terminal and a source terminal of transistor  160  couple to output terminal  135 . A drain terminal of transistor  160  couples to supply-voltage terminal  101 . 
         [0015]    Well-bias selector  120  couples between an intermediate output terminal  199  and voltage-divider-output terminal  150 . Well-bias selector  120  includes transistors  125   a ,  125   b , and well-bias terminal  195 . A source terminal of transistor  125   a  and a gate terminal of transistor  125   b  are coupled to intermediate output terminal  199 . A drain terminal of transistor  125   a  and a source terminal of transistor  125   b  are coupled to well-bias terminal  195 . A drain terminal of transistor  125   b  and a gate terminal of transistor  125   a  are coupled to voltage-divider-output terminal  150 . 
         [0016]    Resistor  170  couples in series with source  165  between output pad OUT and ground terminal  102 . Capacitor  175  is coupled between output pad OUT and ground terminal  102 . Diode  177  couples between well-bias terminal  195  and supply-voltage terminal  101 . 
         [0017]    With continuing reference to  FIG. 1 , floating-well  180  includes transistors  140   a ,  115   a , and  115   b  in the exemplary embodiment of the buffer  100 . Floating-well  182  includes transistors  140   b ,  117   a ,  117   b , and  160 . Floating-well  185  includes transistors  105 ,  125   a , and  125   b . Floating-well  180 , floating-well  182 , and floating-well  185  delineate floating-well regions with corresponding transistors. 
         [0018]    With continuing reference to  FIG. 1 , source  165  represents an external voltage region that the buffer  100  may be electrically coupled to. In one embodiment, source  165  may be 3.3 V. The buffer  100  may be coupled to source  165  at a level of 3.3 V and yet ensure that no two terminals sustain more than 1.2 V when the external voltage equals 3.3 V. In particular, buffer  100  ensures that no gate oxide of any transistor is exposed to a voltage equal to or greater than 1.2 V. By maintaining a gate voltages at 1.2 V or less, gate oxide breakdown is avoided. By maintaining no more than 1.2 V across any oxide, stacking of a succession of transistors within floating wells allows the buffer to be attached to external voltage regions more than two times the magnitude of the supply voltage on supply-voltage terminal  101 . The magnitude of voltage on supply-voltage terminal  101  is, for example, 1.2 V. 
         [0019]    Devices of the buffer  100  are, for example, all within a single semiconductor substrate and within a single native voltage region provided by the 1.2 V magnitude on supply-voltage terminal  101 . A plurality of the buffer  100  may be implemented within the same semiconductor and may be used to implement an output bus, for example. Other voltage regions may be available on a substrate where buffer  100  may be implemented. Buffer  100  alleviates the need for an additional voltage reference to be available on the same substrate. Electrical coupling to external voltages between 1.2 V and 3.3 V by buffer  100  are possible. An open-drain-output buffer, such as the buffer  100 , provides an electrical pull-down capability and relies on the voltage level provided by source  165  for logic levels at an elevated voltage. 
         [0020]    As an input voltage, applied to input pad IN, varies from a low-level (i.e., about 0 V) to a high-level (i.e., about 1.2 V), transistor  105 , transistor  107 , and transistor  109  are activated (turned on) and pull output pad OUT to a low-level. On the other hand, as an input voltage to the buffer  100  varies from a high-level to a low-level, transistor  109  is deactivated and allows the voltage provided by source  165  to pull output pad OUT to a high-level. In this way, the buffer  100  is able to provide electronic signaling between to regions operating at different supply voltage levels (i.e., each voltage region with a corresponding supply-voltage VDD). 
         [0021]    In continuing reference to  FIG. 1 , when transistors  105 ,  107 , and  109  are off, output pad OUT is at the external-voltage of source  165 . The external voltage is provided from output pad OUT to voltage-divider  130  at the source terminal of transistor  140   a . The gate terminal of transistor  140   b  is at a second voltage-divider-output voltage level (not shown) provided on voltage-divider-output terminal  150  (discussed in further detail below). The second voltage-divider-output voltage generates an activating gate-source voltage on transistor  140   b . With an activated channel, transistor  140   b  conducts current between output terminal  135  and supply-voltage terminal  101 . The gate terminal of transistor  140   a  (which is coupled to output terminal  135 ) therefore provides an activating gate-source voltage on transistor  140   a . Transistor  140   a  and transistor  140   b  are activated and provide a voltage divider effect of external-voltage and supply-voltage VDD and generate a first voltage-divider-output voltage (not shown) on output terminal  135 . For an external-voltage of 3.3 V the first voltage-divider-output voltage may be about 2.1 V. 
         [0022]    External-voltage is provided from output pad OUT to well-bias selector  110  at the source terminal of transistor  115   a . The gate terminal of transistor  115   a  is coupled to output terminal  135 . Due to a voltage-divider effect generated by voltage-divider  130  (discussed above) on output terminal  135 , an activating gate-source voltage is provided to transistor  115   a . Transistor  115   a  conducts and provides external-voltage to well-bias terminal  190 . By electrical coupling, well-bias terminal  190  provides external-voltage to floating-well  180 . Transistor  140   a  receives a bulk terminal voltage from floating-well  180 . With the external voltage level provided to floating-well  180  and with the voltage-divider characteristic of voltage-divider  130 , none of the terminals of transistor  115   a , transistor  115   b , or transistor  140   a  experience greater than a 1.2 V difference and thus no over voltage condition occurs. 
         [0023]    With a 1.2 V level on supply-voltage terminal  101  and 3.3 V on output pad OUT, the voltage on output terminal  135  is about 2.1 V. Some variation in the magnitude of the voltage on output terminal  135  from the 2.1 V would occur due to voltage drops through conductive devices and electrical paths involved in the biasing as described. 
         [0024]    With the gate terminal of transistor  115   b  coupled to output pad OUT and therefore at the elevated external voltage level and with the source terminal of transistor  115   b  coupled to the elevated external voltage level provided on well-bias terminal  190 , a deactivating gate-source voltage exists on transistor  115   b . With transistor  115   a  on (conducting) and transistor  115   b  off, well-bias selector  110  provides the higher level of the two voltages (i.e., external-voltage and a first voltage-divider-output voltage) to well-bias terminal  190 . 
         [0025]    The first voltage-divider-output voltage is provided from output terminal  135  to well-bias selector  112  at the source terminal of transistor  117   a . The gate terminal of transistor  117   a  is coupled to supply-voltage terminal  101 . Due to a voltage-divider effect generated by voltage-divider  130  (discussed above) on output terminal  135 , an activating gate-source voltage is provided to transistor  117   a . Transistor  117   a  conducts and provides the first voltage-divider-output voltage level to well-bias terminal  192 . By electrical coupling, well-bias terminal  192  provides the first voltage-divider-output voltage level to floating-well  182 . 
         [0026]    Transistor  140   b  receives a bulk terminal voltage from floating-well  182 . With the first voltage-divider-output voltage (2.1 V) provided to floating-well  182  and the voltage-divider characteristic of voltage-divider  130  operative with the first voltage-divider-output voltage and supply-voltage VDD at 1.2 V, none of the terminals of transistor  117   a , transistor  117   b , transistor  140   b , or transistor  160  experience greater than a 1.2 V difference between them and thus no over voltage condition occurs. 
         [0027]    With the gate terminal of transistor  117   b  coupled to output terminal  135  and therefore at the first voltage-divider-output voltage level and with the source terminal of transistor  117   b  coupled to the first voltage-divider-output voltage provided on well-bias terminal  192 , a deactivating gate-source voltage exists on transistor  117   b  and the transistor is off. With transistor  117   a  on (conducting) and transistor  117   b  off, well-bias selector  112  provides the higher level of the two voltages (i.e., the first voltage-divider-output voltage and supply-voltage VDD) to well-bias terminal  192 . 
         [0028]    Supply-voltage VDD is provided from supply-voltage terminal  101  to voltage-divider  145  at the drain terminal of transistor  155   a . The gate terminal of transistor  155   a  is at supply-voltage level VDD. Supply-voltage level VDD generates an activating gate-source voltage on transistor  155   a  and allows the channel of transistor to conduct. With an activated channel of transistor  155   a  conducting between voltage-divider-output terminal  150  and supply-voltage terminal  101 , the gate terminal of transistor  155   b  (which is coupled to voltage-divider-output terminal  150 ) provides an activating gate-source voltage on transistor  155   b . Transistor  155   a  and transistor  155   b  are therefore activated and provide a voltage divider effect of supply-voltage VDD and Ground GND to generate voltage-divider-output voltage (not shown) on voltage-divider-output terminal  150 . The device-threshold of transistor  155   a  and transistor  155   b  may be configured such that voltage-divider-output voltage is, for example, about 0.9 V for operation in a voltage region with supply-voltage VDD of 1.2 V and an external-voltage of about 3.3 V. 
         [0029]    The second voltage-divider-output voltage level is provided to well-bias selector  120  at the drain terminal of transistor  125   b . As discussed above, the first voltage-divider-output voltage is about 2.1 V and is provided as the gate terminal voltage on transistor  105 . The intermediate output voltage therefore, may rise to a level about one NMOS device-threshold voltage below the first voltage-divider-output voltage or about 1.8-1.9 V. With the gate terminal of transistor  125   b  coupled to the source terminal of transistor  105  and therefore at a voltage level equal to the intermediate output voltage level minus one NMOS device-threshold voltage and with the drain terminal of transistor  125   b  at voltage-divider-output voltage, transistor  125   b  is on. Transistor  125   b  conducts and provides a low-level output voltage on voltage-divider-output terminal  150  to well-bias terminal  195 . By electrical coupling, well-bias terminal  195  provides the low-level voltage from voltage-divider-output terminal  150  to floating-well  185 . Transistor  105  receives a bulk terminal voltage from floating-well  185 . 
         [0030]    With the gate terminal of transistor  125   a  coupled to voltage-divider-output terminal  150  and therefore at voltage-divider-output voltage level of 0.9 V and with the source terminal of transistor  125   a  coupled to the intermediate output voltage provided on intermediate output terminal  199  at about 1.8-1.9 V, a deactivating gate-source voltage exists on transistor  125   a  and the transistor is off. With transistor  125   b  on (conducting) and transistor  125   a  off, well-bias selector  120  provides the lower level of the two voltages (i.e., voltage-divider-output voltage and the intermediate output voltage) to well-bias terminal  195 . 
         [0031]    With voltage-divider-output voltage level provided to floating-well  185  and with the voltage-divider characteristic of voltage-divider  145 , none of the gate oxide related terminals of transistor  125   a , transistor  125   b , or transistor  105  experience greater than a 1.2 V difference between them and thus no over voltage condition on any of the gate oxides occurs. The drain terminal of transistor  105  is electrically coupled to external-voltage (3.3 V) on output pad OUT but is encompassed by voltage-divider-output voltage (0.9 V) provided to floating-well  185 . In this way, the drain terminal of transistor  105  is provided with a well-bias at the lower bias control voltage available through well-bias selector  120 . It is acceptable to subject a semiconductor junction within a transistor to a voltage difference greater than the magnitude of supply-voltage VDD, which for example is 1.2 V. Yet, the gate oxide of transistors; i.e. any gate-to-source, gate-to-drain, or gate-to-bulk connection; is not to be exposed to a voltage difference greater than 1.2 V, for example. 
         [0032]    In continuing reference to  FIG. 1 , with a high-level voltage applied to the gate terminal of transistor  109  and with the source terminal coupled to Ground GND, transistor  109  is on and conducts to a 0 V level on Ground GND. The drain terminal of transistor  109  and therefore the source terminal of transistor  107  are pull-down to 0 V. With the gate terminal of transistor  107  coupled to supply-voltage VDD, transistor  107  receives an activating gate-source voltage and conducts, pulling the drain terminal of transistor  107  to 0 V. 
         [0033]    The gate terminal of transistor  140   b  is at a second voltage-divider-output voltage level provided on voltage-divider-output terminal  150  (discussed above). With the source terminal of transistor  140   b  at supply-voltage VDD on supply-voltage terminal  101  and the gate terminal of transistor  140   b  coupled to voltage-divider-output terminal  150 , voltage-divider-output voltage generates an activating gate-source voltage on transistor  140   b . With an activated channel, transistor  140   b  conducts and provides supply-voltage VDD from supply-voltage terminal  101  to output terminal  135 . Output terminal  135  provides supply-voltage VDD to the gate terminal of transistor  105  and transistor  107  conducting, provides 0 V to the source terminal of transistor  105 . Transistor  105  therefore, receives an activating gate-source voltage. 
         [0034]    With a high-level voltage applied to the gate terminals of transistors  105 ,  107 , and  109 , a low-level voltage of about 0 V is provided through transistor  105 , transistor  107 , and transistor  109  to output pad OUT. Note that with supply-voltage VDD the highest voltage provided, the source-drain definitions of the PMOS transistors reverse in a complementary biasing context. The low-level voltage is provided from output pad OUT to voltage-divider  130  at the drain terminal of transistor  140   a . The gate terminal of transistor  140   a  (which is coupled to output terminal  135 ) therefore receives a deactivating gate-source voltage for transistor  140   a . With transistor  140   a  off and transistor  140   b  on, supply-voltage VDD is provided on output terminal  135 . Supply-voltage VDD is also provided to the gate terminal of transistor  105 , ensuring the device remains on. 
         [0035]    With the gate terminal of transistor  115   b  coupled to output pad OUT and therefore at the low-level voltage and with the source terminal (formerly the drain terminal in the previous complementary biased configuration) of transistor  115   b  coupled to supply-voltage VDD on output terminal  135 , an activating gate-source voltage exists on transistor  115   b . Transistor  115   b  conducts and provides supply-voltage VDD to well-bias terminal  190 . By electrical coupling, well-bias terminal  190  provides supply-voltage VDD to floating-well  180 . Transistor  140   a  receives a bulk terminal voltage (i.e., the native VDD) from floating-well  180 . 
         [0036]    The low-voltage level is provided from output pad OUT to well-bias selector  110  at the drain terminal of transistor  115   a . The gate terminal of transistor  115   a  is coupled to output terminal  135 . With supply-voltage VDD on output terminal  135 , a deactivating gate-source voltage is provided to transistor  115   a  and the device is off (nonconducting). 
         [0037]    With supply-voltage VDD provided to floating-well  180 , none of the terminals of transistor  115   a , transistor  115   b , or transistor  140   a  experience greater than a 1.2 V difference between them and thus no over voltage condition occurs. With transistor  115   b  on (conducting) and transistor  115   a  off, well-bias selector  110  provides the higher level of the two voltages (i.e., selects the first voltage-divider-output voltage instead of the low-level voltage) to well-bias terminal  190 . 
         [0038]    With the gate terminal of transistor  117   b  coupled to output terminal  135  and therefore at supply-voltage VDD and with the source terminal of transistor  117   b  coupled to supply-voltage terminal  101 , a deactivating gate-source voltage exists on transistor  117   b  and the device is off. With transistor  117   a  off (nonconducting) and transistor  117   b  off, well-bias selector  112  leaves well-bias terminal  192  floating. 
         [0039]    The first voltage-divider-output voltage is provided from output terminal  135  to well-bias selector  112  at the drain terminal of transistor  117   a . The gate terminal of transistor  117   a  is coupled to supply-voltage terminal  101 . With supply-voltage VDD on output terminal  135 , a deactivating gate-source voltage is provided to transistor  117   a , turning the device off. 
         [0040]    With well-bias terminal  192  floating and supply-voltage terminal  101  and output terminal  135  both at supply-voltage VDD, the gate terminals of transistor  105  and transistor  107  are provided with activating gate-source voltages and conduction of both devices is assured. 
         [0041]    Supply-voltage VDD is provided from supply-voltage terminal  101  to voltage-divider  145  at the drain terminal of transistor  155   a  as described above. All connections and the operation of voltage-divider  145  remain as described above. 
         [0042]    Well-bias selector  120 , transistor  125   a , and transistor  125   b  provide a reverse-bias voltage on well-bias terminal  195 , which comes from either intermediate output terminal  199  or voltage-divider-output terminal  150 , whichever is lower. The well-bias and therefore bulk terminals of transistor  105 , transistor  125   a , and transistor  125   b  are provided with the lowest potential these devices are exposed to on conducting channel terminals. When transistor  105  is turned on, intermediate output terminal  199  is close to GND, hence the well of transistor  105  is at GND also. When transistor  105  is turned off, intermediate output terminal  199  goes up to 1.8-1.9, hence the voltage on well-bias terminal  195  is equal to the voltage on voltage-divider-output terminal  150 , which is about 0.9. If transistor  105  is either on or off, all transistors in floating well  185  experience no more than 1.2 v across in the gate oxide. 
         [0043]    An intermediate output voltage level, i.e., the low-level voltage, is provided from intermediate output terminal  199  to well-bias selector  120  at the source terminal of transistor  125   a . The gate terminal of transistor  125   a  is coupled to voltage-divider-output terminal  150 . Due to a voltage-divider effect generated by voltage-divider  145  (discussed above) voltage-divider-output voltage generates an activating gate-source voltage on transistor  125   a  allowing the device to conduct. Transistor  125   a  conducts and provides the intermediate output voltage level (a low-voltage approximately equal to, for example, 0 V) to well-bias terminal  195 . By electrical coupling, well-bias terminal  195  provides the intermediate output voltage level to floating-well  185 . Transistor  105  receives a bulk terminal voltage from floating-well  185 . With the intermediate output voltage level provided to floating-well  185  and with the voltage-divider characteristic of voltage-divider  145 , none of the terminals of transistor  125   a , transistor  125   b , or transistor  105  experience greater than a 1.2 V difference between them and thus no over voltage condition occurs. 
         [0044]    The Diode  177  coupled between well-bias terminal  195  and supply-voltage terminal  101  represents a junction formed by an n-type well that includes floating-well  185 . The n-type well is biased to supply-voltage VDD and isolates floating-well  185  from a common p-type substrate. 
         [0045]    As in the various discussions above and with a 1.2 V level on supply-voltage terminal  101  and 0 V on ground terminal  102 , and the voltage on voltage-divider-output terminal  150  is about 0.9 V. Some variation in the magnitude of the voltage on voltage-divider-output terminal  150  from the 0.9 V would occur due to voltage drops through conductive devices and electrical paths involved in the biasing as described. 
         [0046]    Various exemplary embodiments of switches have been given, where a switch has been presented, alternatively, as an NMOS or a PMOS transistor. As one skilled in the art will readily appreciate, further alternative embodiments of switches exist. For example switches within a semiconductor substrate may be fabricated as JFETs or IGFETs transistors for example. The exemplary embodiments referenced above should be incorporated for alternative means for implementing the embodiments and not seen as a restriction to interpretation of the present invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7