Patent ID: 8723582

Claim:
A level shifter circuit for generating an output voltage based on an input voltage, comprising: a voltage translation stage for receiving the input voltage, comprising: a first transistor having a source terminal for receiving a voltage supply; a second transistor having a drain terminal connected to a drain terminal of the first transistor, a gate terminal for receiving the input voltage, and a source terminal connected to ground; a third transistor having a source terminal for receiving the voltage supply, and a gate terminal connected to the drain terminals of the first and second transistors; and a fourth transistor having a drain terminal connected to a drain terminal of the third transistor and a gate terminal of the first transistor, and a source terminal connected to ground; a driver stage connected to the voltage translation stage for generating the output voltage; and a comparison stage, connected to the voltage translation stage, comprising: a fifth transistor having a source terminal connected to the drain terminals of the first and second transistors, and a drain terminal connected to a gate terminal of the fourth transistor; a sixth transistor having a drain terminal connected to the source terminal of the fifth transistor, a gate terminal for receiving the input voltage, and a source terminal connected to the drain terminal of the fifth transistor; a seventh transistor having a source terminal connected to the drain terminals of the third and fourth transistors, a drain terminal connected to the drain and source terminals of the fifth and sixth transistors, respectively, and a gate terminal connected to the gate terminal of the sixth transistor for receiving the input voltage; and an eighth transistor having a drain terminal connected to the source terminal of the seventh transistor, a gate terminal connected to a gate terminal of the fifth transistor and the drain terminals of the first and second transistors, and a source terminal connected to the drain terminal of the seventh transistor.