Charge-pump voltage multiplier with reduced electrostatic discharge effects

摘要

The final cell or cells in a cascade or ladder of voltage elevator cells may be exposed to significant overvoltages from electrostatic discharge originating in off-chip loads. In such conditions, the final cell or cells may be damaged or destroyed by such overvoltages. Protective circuitry may be added to one or more of the final voltage elevator cells to reduce or eliminate such damage or destruction by distributing the overvoltage among two or more cells. Such protective circuitry may include a capacitor coupled in parallel with the input and output node of one or more of the final voltage elevator cells. The protective circuitry may also include a resistor coupled in series between the final voltage elevator cell and the load.