Patent ID: 7915933

Claim:
A method for clamping current in a charge pump, the charge pump including switching circuitry and a capacitor, and the charge pump defining first and second paths through which current is transmitted to/received from the capacitor, at least one parasitic spike in current from at least one of a number of transistors of the switching circuitry being generated during switching off of the at least one of the transistors, the at least one parasitic spike dissipated after elapse of a short period of time, the method comprising the steps of: providing at least one control signal that causes the switching off of the at least one of the transistors when said at least one control signal changes from a first value to a second value; switching a first transistor on to open an additional path for the current from the at least one of the transistors when said at least one control signal changes from said first value to said second value in order that the at least one parasitic spike is only partially communicated through a selected one of the first and second paths; and switching a second transistor off to close said additional path after said additional path has been open for the short period of time.