Wordline driver with integrated voltage level shift function

Abstract

Disclosed is a wordline driver with an integrated voltage level shift function. This wordline driver receives a decoder output signal from a wordline address decoder operating at first voltage level. Based on the decoder output signal, it generates and outputs a wordline driving signal, which selectively activates or deactivates a selected wordline. To ensure that the selected wordline, when activated, is at a second voltage level that is higher than the first, the wordline driver uses a combination of clock signals received from multiple timing control blocks operating at the first voltage level and multiple logic gates operating the second voltage level. To ensure that this wordline driving signal remains low during power up when fluctuations occur due to the different voltage levels and, specifically, to ensure that the wordline driving signal only switches to high when it will be stable, the wordline driver can include a reset control block.