Voltage generator circuit, method for providing an output voltage and electronic memory device

1. A voltage generator circuit providing an output voltage that is higher than an input voltage, the voltage generator circuit comprising:

an input terminal receiving the input voltage;

an output terminal providing the output voltage;

a pre-charge element coupled between the input terminal and the output terminal; and

a capacitance circuit coupled to the input terminal and to the output terminal, the capacitance circuit comprising:

a first capacitance;

a first capacitance current pass element coupled between the output terminal and a first node of the first capacitance;

a second capacitance;

a second capacitance current pass element being connected between the output terminal and a first node of the second capacitance;

a third capacitance, a first node of which being coupled to the output terminal; and

a current pass and pre-charge element controller provided such that in a pre-charge phase, the current pass elements and the pre-charge element are closed, and in a voltage shifting phase, the pre-charge element is opened,

wherein the capacitance current pass elements are controlled such that they are sequentially opened such that charge on the capacitances is transferred to a predetermined capacitance of the capacitance circuit, which then provides the output voltage, wherein, before a capacitance current pass element is opened, a respective capacitance, the first node of which is coupled to the capacitance current pass element to be opened, is provided with a boost voltage at its second node.

2. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance circuit further comprises:

at least a fourth capacitance; and

at least a third capacitance current pass element coupled between the output terminal and a first node of the fourth capacitance.

3. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third capacitances have substantially the same capacitance value.

4. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third capacitances do not all have the same capacitance values.

5. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pre-charge element comprises a pre-charge switching element.

6. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pre-charge element comprises at least one transistor.

7. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pre-charge element comprises at least one of a field effect transistor, a transmission gate, or a diode.

8. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pre-charge element comprises at least one metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.

9. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pre-charge element comprises at least one p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.

10. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the capacitance current pass elements comprises a capacitance switching element.

11. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , at least one of the capacitance current pass elements comprises at least one of a transistor, a transmission gate, or a diode.

12. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the capacitance current pass elements comprises at least one field effect transistor.

13. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the capacitance current pass elements comprises at least one metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.

14. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the capacitance current pass elements comprises at least one p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.

15. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first level shifter circuit coupled between the current pass and pre-charge element controller and the first capacitance current pass element.

16. The voltage generator circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second level shifter circuit coupled between the current pass and pre-charge element controller and the second capacitance current pass element.

17. The voltage generator of claim 1 , wherein the voltage generator is one component of an electronic memory device.

18. The voltage generator device of claim 17 , wherein the electronic memory device comprises a non-volatile memory device.

19. The voltage generator of claim 18 , wherein the electronic memory device comprises a non-volatile memory device being selected from the group of:

a flash non-volatile memory device;

a ferroelectric random access memory non-volatile memory device;

a magnetic random access memory non-volatile memory device;

a phase change memory non-volatile memory device;

a conductive bridging random access memory non-volatile memory device; and

an organic random access memory non-volatile memory device.

20. The voltage generator of claim 17 , wherein the electronic memory device comprises a floating gate flash non-volatile memory device or a charge-trapping layer flash non-volatile memory device.

21. The voltage generator of claim 20 , wherein the electronic memory device comprises a nitride read only memory flash non-volatile memory device.

22. A voltage generator circuit providing an output voltage that is higher than an input voltage, the voltage generator circuit comprising:

an input terminal receiving the input voltage;

an output terminal providing the output voltage;

a pre-charge switching element coupled between the input terminal and the output terminal; and

a capacitance circuit coupled to the input terminal and to the output terminal, the capacitance circuit comprising:

a first capacitance;

a first capacitance switching element coupled between the output terminal and a first node of the first capacitance;

a second capacitance;

a second capacitance switching element coupled between the output terminal and a first node of the second capacitance;

a third capacitance, a first node of which is coupled to the output terminal; and

a switching element controller provided such that in a pre-charge phase, the switching elements are closed, and in a voltage shifting phase, the pre-charge switching element is opened,

wherein the capacitance switching elements are controlled such that they are sequentially opened such that charge on the capacitances is transferred to a predetermined capacitance of the capacitance circuit, which then provides the output voltage, wherein, before a capacitance switching element is opened, a respective capacitance, the first node of which is coupled to the capacitance switching element to be opened, is provided with a boost voltage at its second node.

23. A method of providing an output voltage that is higher than a received input voltage, the method comprising:

providing a voltage generator circuit, the voltage generator circuit comprising:

an input terminal receiving the input voltage;

an output terminal providing the output voltage;

a pre-charge element coupled between the input terminal and the output terminal;

a capacitance circuit coupled to the input terminal and to the output terminal, comprising:

a first capacitance;

a first capacitance current pass element coupled between the output terminal and a first node of the first capacitance;

a second capacitance;

a second capacitance current pass element coupled between the output terminal and a first node of the second capacitance;

a third capacitance, a first node of which is coupled to the output terminal, closing each of the current pass elements and the pre-charge element, thereby pre-charging the capacitances with the input voltage;

opening the pre-charge element; and

sequentially opening the capacitance current pass elements such that charge on the capacitances is transferred to a predetermined capacitance of the capacitance circuit, which then provides the output voltage, wherein, before a capacitance current pass element is opened, a respective capacitance, the first node of which is coupled to the capacitance current pass element to be opened, is provided with a boost voltage at its second node.