Patent ID: 7932748

Claim:
A 2×VDD tolerant logic circuit for performing a logic operation on at least an input signal and generating at least a corresponding output signal, the logic circuit comprising: a level converter for converting the at least an input signal into at least a corresponding first signal in a first voltage range and at least a second signal in a second voltage range, the second voltage range having a higher voltage than the first voltage range; a pull-low logic path for performing at least a portion of the logic operation of the logic circuit, the pull-low logic path accepting as input the at least a first signal and generating a first output in the first voltage range; a pull-high logic path for performing at least a portion of the logic operation of the logic circuit, the pull-high logic path accepting as input the at least a second signal and generating a second output in the second voltage range; and an output stage for accepting the first output and the second output to generate the output of the logic circuit, the operating voltage of the output including the first voltage range and the second voltage range, wherein the highest voltage of the first voltage range is functionally equal to the lowest voltage of the second voltage range, wherein the output stage comprises a first transistor with a first terminal electrically connected to the first output, and a second transistor with a first terminal electrically connected to the second output; wherein second terminals of the first transistor and the second transistor are electrically connected together to provide an output signal, wherein a bulk terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to functionally the lowest voltage in the first voltage range, and a bulk terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to functionally the highest voltage of the second voltage range; wherein the first and second transistors are of opposite electrical types, and gates of the first transistor and the second transistor are electrically connected to a voltage functionally equivalent to the highest voltage of the first voltage range.