Patent ID: 7176747

Claim:
A multi-level high voltage generator comprising: a charge pump unit structured to generate high voltages having different voltage levels by raising one input voltage inputted through an input terminal, the charge pump unit comprising pump blocks connected in series between the input terminal and an output terminal; a voltage divider unit structured to operate according to an external enable signal and structured to generate divided voltages in response to the high voltages from the charge pump unit; and a pump control unit structured to operate according to the external enable signal and structured to generate pump control signals in response to a reference voltage, a control clock signal, and the divided voltages from the voltage divider unit, each of the pump control signals corresponding to one of the divided voltages, each of the pump control signals structured to control the charge pump unit to perform a voltage raise operation for generating one of the high voltages, wherein each one of the pump blocks is structured to receive a corresponding one of the pump control signals as input, wherein each one of the pump blocks is structured to raise an input voltage in response to the corresponding one of the pump control signals, and wherein the corresponding one of the pump control signals received by each one of the pump blocks is independent of any of the other pump control signals received by any of the other pump blocks.