IP Library Granted Patent US 9,628,079
Granted Patent B2
US 9,628,079 · App. 15/050,187 · Granted Apr 18, 2017

Level shifter circuit

Inventors: Jae-Eun Pi (Daejeon, KR); Chunwon Byun (Daejeon, KR); OhSang Kwon (Daejeon, KR); Eunsuk Park (Daejeon, KR); Min Ki Ryu (Daejeon, KR); Chi-Sun Hwang (Daejeon, KR)
Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
H03K19/018507
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,628,079
App. No.
15/050,187
Granted
Apr 18, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A level shifter circuit a first transistor connected between a power source terminal of the level shifter circuit and an output terminal of the level shifter circuit, the first transistor being configured to transmit, in response to a first signal and a second signal, a power source voltage applied from the power source terminal to the output terminal, the first signal being received from an input terminal of the level shifter circuit through a first gate of the first transistor, the second signal being received through a second gate of the first transistor, and a second transistor connected between a ground terminal of the level shifter circuit and the output terminal, the second transistor being configured to transmit a ground voltage from the ground terminal to the output terminal in response to a gate signal received through a gate of the second transistor.

Claims (20)

1. A level shifter circuit comprising:

a first transistor connected between a power source terminal of the level shifter circuit and an output terminal of the level shifter circuit, the first transistor being configured to transmit, in response to a first signal and a second signal, a power source voltage applied from the power source terminal to the output terminal, the first signal being received from an input terminal of the level shifter circuit through a first gate of the first transistor, the second signal being received through a second gate of the first transistor, the second signal alternating between a negative voltage and a positive voltage; and

a second transistor connected between the input terminal of the level shifter circuit and the output terminal, the second transistor being configured to transmit a ground voltage from the input terminal to the output terminal in response to a gate signal received through a gate of the second transistor.

2. The level shifter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second signal corresponds to a clock signal, and the second gate of the first transistor receives the clock signal from a clock terminal of the level shifter circuit.

3. The level shifter circuit of claim 2 , wherein a period of the clock signal is identical to a period of the first signal.

4. The level shifter circuit of claim 2 , wherein when a level of the first signal has a high level, a level of the clock signal has a high level, and

wherein when the level of the first signal has a low level, the level of the clock signal has a low level.

5. The level shifter circuit of claim 4 , wherein a first level difference between the high level of the first signal and the low level of the first signal has a first value,

wherein a second level difference between the high level of the clock signal and the low level of the clock signal has a second value, and

wherein the second value is larger than the first value.

6. The level shifter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor is turned on or turned off according to a threshold voltage, the threshold voltage being changed by adjusting a value of the first signal and a value of the second signal.

7. The level shifter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first signal is a periodic signal having a first voltage and the ground voltage alternately,

wherein a voltage of the output terminal has a second voltage and the ground voltage alternately and periodically, and

wherein a level of the second voltage is higher than a level of the first voltage.

8. The level shifter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the gate signal is logically complementary to the first signal.

9. The level shifter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second transistor has a source connected to the input terminal to transmit the ground voltage from the input terminal to the output terminal through the second transistor when the gate signal has a logical high value.

10. The level shifter circuit of claim 9 , wherein the input terminal is a first input terminal, and

wherein the gate of the second transistor is connected to a second input terminal, the gate signal being a complementary version of the first signal.

11. The level shifter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor is an n-channel metal-oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor.

12. The level shifter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second transistor is a single gate transistor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 23, 2016
From: PI, JAE-EUN; BYUN, CHUNWON; KWON, OHSANG; PARK, EUNSUK; RYU, MIN KI; HWANG, CHI-SUN
To: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Reel/Frame 037804/0938 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2015-0025283 · Feb 23, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160248426A1 · Aug 25, 2016