Charge Pump Apparatus Combining Two-Phase and Four-Phase Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor memory circuits face challenges in reducing operating voltage to lower power consumption, as two-phase charge pump circuits have efficiency and area issues due to body effect, while four-phase circuits have lower efficiency and increased area due to additional delay circuits needed for clock signal generation.
Innovation Solution
A charge pump apparatus combining a two-phase and a four-phase charge pump circuit with a driving circuit that includes a ring oscillator and logic circuit, generating clock signals through a delay circuit chain, eliminating the need for additional delay circuits and addressing body effect issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a two-phase charge pump circuit is used, then efficiency is higher and area is smaller, but body effect problem occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The charge pump circuit is divided into two separate modules: a two-phase charge pump circuit for efficient voltage multiplication and a four-phase charge pump circuit for body effect mitigation. Each module operates independently with its own clock signals, allowing the system to leverage the advantages of both architectures while avoiding their respective disadvantages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines two different charge pump architectures (two-phase and four-phase) into a single integrated system. The output of the two-phase charge pump is connected to the input of the four-phase charge pump, creating a cascaded configuration that achieves both high efficiency and body effect elimination.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a four-phase charge pump circuit is used, then body effect problem is eliminated, but efficiency is lower and area is increased due to additional delay circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The charge pump circuit is divided into two separate modules: a two-phase charge pump circuit for efficient voltage multiplication and a four-phase charge pump circuit for body effect mitigation. Each module operates independently with its own clock signals, allowing the system to leverage the advantages of both architectures while avoiding their respective disadvantages.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring oscillator circuit serves multiple functions: it generates clock signals for both the two-phase and four-phase charge pump circuits, and the delay circuits within it provide both timing control and body effect mitigation. This multi-functionality reduces the overall circuit area while maintaining the benefits of four-phase operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a four-phase charge pump circuit is used, then body effect problem is eliminated, but area is increased due to additional delay circuits for clock signal generation
Solution Approach 1:
The ring oscillator circuit serves multiple functions: it generates clock signals for both the two-phase and four-phase charge pump circuits, and the delay circuits within it provide both timing control and body effect mitigation. This multi-functionality reduces the overall circuit area while maintaining the benefits of four-phase operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines two different charge pump architectures (two-phase and four-phase) into a single integrated system. The output of the two-phase charge pump is connected to the input of the four-phase charge pump, creating a cascaded configuration that achieves both high efficiency and body effect elimination.
Data Source
AI summary
A charge pump apparatus is provided. A two-phase clock signal and a four-phase clock signal for respectively driving a two-phase charge pump circuit and a four-phase charge pump circuit are generated according to delay signals of coupling nodes between delay circuits of a ring oscillator circuit.