The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 19, 1991
Filed:
May. 09, 1991
Milton E Wilcox, Saratoga, CA (US);
National Semiconductor Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A maximum swing bipolar charge pump retains a cascode switching configuration for high breakdown. The charge pump includes a charge pump capacitor with a first plate connected to supply in the conventional manner. A first cascode-connected NPN transistor is utilized to switch the second plate of the pump capacitor to the supply. A second cascode-connected NPN transistor is utilized to switch the second plate of the pump capacitor close to ground. An additional bipolar biasing network holds the second NPN transistor out of heavy saturation when the second plate of the pump capacitor is switched close to ground, thereby preserving fast turn-off time and maximum voltage swing with the constraint of a bipolar cascode configuration.