Charge pump and devices including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10104325-B2
Application number	US-201615194732-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 7, 2015
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A charge pump provides an output voltage with reduced voltage ripple. The charge pump includes a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a control circuit. The control circuit charges the first capacitor to one of a first voltage and a second voltage and the second capacitor to the other one of the first and second voltages using differential clock signals and an input voltage during each clock phase and outputs the higher one of the first and second voltages as an output voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charge pump receiving a regulated voltage and generating an output voltage, the charge pump comprising:
a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a control circuit,
wherein the control circuit is configured to charge the first capacitor to one of a first voltage and a second voltage and to charge the second capacitor to the other one of the first voltage and second voltage in response to differential clock signals and the regulated voltage during each of a first clock phase and a second clock phase, and
the control circuit is further configured to output a higher one of the first voltage and second voltage as the output voltage and comprises;
a first switch circuit configured to control connection between an output terminal of the first capacitor and an output terminal of the charge pump using a voltage output by the second capacitor; and
a second switch circuit configured to control connection between an output terminal of the second capacitor and the output terminal of the charge pump using a voltage output by the first capacitor.

2. The charge pump of claim 1 , wherein the second voltage is higher than the first voltage,
the control circuit charges the first capacitor to the first voltage and charges the second capacitor to the second voltage during the first clock phase, and
the control circuit charges the first capacitor to the second voltage and charges the second capacitor to the first voltage during the second clock phase.

3. The charge pump of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit charges the first capacitor to the first voltage and charges the second capacitor to the second voltage at the same time during the first clock phase, and
the control circuit charges the first capacitor to the second voltage and charges the second capacitor to the first voltage at the same time during the second clock phase.

4. The charge pump of claim 1 , wherein the first switch circuit is a first transistor, the second switch circuit is a second transistor, and a body of the first transistor is connected with a body of the second transistor.

5. The charge pump of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit further comprises:
a third transistor and a fourth transistor connected in series between the output terminal of the first capacitor and the output terminal of the second capacitor,
wherein a gate of the third transistor is connected to the output terminal of the second capacitor, a gate of the fourth transistor is connected to the output terminal of the first capacitor, and bodies of the respective third and fourth transistors are connected to the body of the first transistor.

6. An image sensor comprising:
a pixel;
a row driver that generates control signals controlling operation of the pixel in response to an operating voltage; and
a voltage generator that generates the operating voltage, wherein the voltage generator comprises:
a regulator that generates a regulated voltage in response to a reference voltage and the operating voltage;
a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a control circuit,
wherein the control circuit charges the first capacitor to one of a first voltage and a second voltage higher than the first voltage,

and charges the second capacitor to the other one of the first voltage and second voltage in response to differential clock signals and the regulated voltage during each of a first clock phase and a second clock phase, and
the control circuit outputs a higher one of the first voltage and second voltage as the output voltage, charges the first capacitor to the first voltage, charges the second capacitor to the second voltage during the first clock phase, and charges the first capacitor to the second voltage and the second capacitor to the first voltage during the second clock phase.

7. The image sensor of claim 6 , wherein the control circuit charges the first capacitor to the first voltage and the second capacitor to the second voltage at the same time during the first clock phase, and charges the first capacitor to the second voltage and the second capacitor to the first voltage at the same time during the second clock phase.

8. The image sensor of claim 6 , wherein the second voltage is an integer multiple of the first voltage.

9. The image sensor of claim 6 , further comprising:
a pad connected to an output terminal of the voltage generator that outputs the operating voltage.

10. The image sensor of claim 6 , further comprising:
a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor connected to an output terminal of the voltage generator that outputs the operating voltage.

11. The image sensor of claim 6 , wherein the control circuit comprises:
a first switch circuit controlling a connection between an output terminal of the first capacitor and an output terminal of the voltage generator that outputs the operating voltage, using an output voltage of the second capacitor; and
a second switch circuit controlling a connection between an output terminal of the second capacitor and the output terminal of the voltage generator using an output voltage of the first capacitor.

12. The image sensor of claim 11 , wherein the first switch circuit is a first transistor, the second switch circuit is a second transistor, and a body of the first transistor is connected with a body of the second transistor.

13. The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein the control circuit further comprises:
a third transistor and a fourth transistor connected in series between the output terminal of the first capacitor and the output terminal of the second capacitor,
wherein a gate of the third transistor is connected to the output terminal of the second capacitor, a gate of the fourth transistor is connected to the output terminal of the first capacitor, and bodies of the respective third and fourth transistors are connected to the body of the first transistor.

14. A method of operating a charge pump receiving a regulated voltage and generating an output voltage, the charge pump comprising a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a control circuit, and the method comprising:
charging the first capacitor to one of a first voltage and a second voltage higher than the first voltage, and charging the second capacitor to the other one of the first voltage and second voltage in response to differential clock signals and the regulated voltage during each of a first clock phase and a second clock phase;
outputting a higher one of the first voltage and second voltage as the output voltage;
charging the first capacitor to the first voltage and charging the second capacitor to the second voltage during the first clock phase; and
charging the first capacitor to the second voltage and charging the second capacitor to the first voltage during the second clock phase.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the charging of the first capacitor to the first voltage and the charging of the second capacitor to the second voltage occurs at the same time during the first clock phase, and
the charging of the first capacitor to the second voltage and the charging of the second capacitor to the first voltage occurs at the same time during the second clock phase.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
controlling a connection between an output terminal of the first capacitor and an output terminal of the charge pump using a first switch circuit responsive to a voltage output by the second capacitor; and
controlling a connection between an output terminal of the second capacitor and the output terminal of the charge pump using a second switch circuit responsive to a voltage out

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Yong Suk
• Kwon Hyuk Bin
• Park Seok Yong
• Han Dong Jae
• Heo Dong Hun

Classifications

• H02M3/07 Primary

  using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} · CPC title

• H04N25/709

  Circuitry for control of the power supply · CPC title

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• H04N25/70

  SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith · CPC title

• H04N5/3765 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic