Patent ID: 8884679

Claim:
A high voltage switch for a semiconductor device, comprising: a switch defined between a voltage source and a voltage output; an enable line coupled to a first transistor of the switch; and a level shifter having a characterization line as an input and an output of the level shifter coupled to a second transistor of the switch, the level shifter further having a power rail that is coupled to the switch between the first transistor and the second transistor; wherein the high voltage switch is replicated in two or more input/output circuits of a first semiconductor chip and at least one input/output circuit of a second semiconductor chip, wherein the first semiconductor chip includes logic for communicating with enable lines and the characterization lines of the high voltage switches of the first and second semiconductor chips to cause the high voltage switches to operate in one of a normal operation mode, a characterization mode, or a standby mode; wherein operating in a characterization mode enables communication of a high voltage between the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor switch without passing through a core of the first semiconductor chip.