Voltage generation circuit which is capable of executing high-speed boost operation
According to one embodiment, a voltage generation circuit includes a first boost circuit, a voltage division circuit, a first detection circuit, a capacitor and a first switch. The first boost circuit outputs a first voltage. The voltage division circuit divides the first voltage. The first detection circuit is configured to detect a first monitor voltage supplied to the first input terminal, based on a reference voltage which is supplied to a second input terminal of the first detection circuit, and to control an operation of the first boost circuit. The capacitor is connected between an output terminal of the first boost circuit and the first input terminal of the first detection circuit. The first switch cuts off a connection between the capacitor and the first detection circuit, based on an output signal of the first detection circuit, until the first voltage is output from the first boost circuit.
1 . A method of voltage generation by a first circuit, the first circuit comprising:
a second circuit configured to boost and supply a first voltage to a first node, a third circuit configured to divide the first voltage and supply a divided voltage as a first monitor voltage to a second node,
a first amplifier whose input terminal is connected to the second node,
a capacitor connected to the first node and the second node,
a first switch connected between the capacitor and the second node, and
a second switch connected to the capacitor, the method comprising:
outputting a first signal from an output terminal of the first amplifier based on the first monitor voltage and a reference voltage; and
controlling the second circuit based on the first signal input to the second circuit from the first amplifier.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising establishing a connection between the capacitor and a third node supplied with a second voltage by the second switch when cutting off a connection between the capacitor and the second node, based on the first monitor voltage.
3 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising outputting signals that drive the first switch and the second switch based on the first monitor voltage.
4 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
detecting a second monitor voltage based on the reference voltage; and
outputting signals that drive the first switch and the second switch based on a result of detecting the second monitor voltage.
5 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein
the first circuit further comprises:
a third switch connected to an output terminal of the second circuit, and
a fourth circuit configured to output a third voltage that drives the third switch, based on a clock signal, and
the method further comprises stopping supply of the clock signal to the fourth circuit when the second circuit is stopped, based on the first monitor voltage.
6 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second voltage is the reference voltage.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising changing a connection between the capacitor and the second node by the first switch.
8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising changing a connection between the capacitor and the third circuit by the first switch.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first circuit further comprises:
a second amplifier connected to a third node different from the second node, and
a fourth circuit, and
the method further comprises:
supplying a second monitor voltage to an input terminal of the second amplifier from the third circuit, the second monitor voltage is higher than the first monitor voltage; and
outputting a second signal to the fourth circuit from an output terminal of the second amplifier.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising controlling the first switch by the second signal output from the fourth circuit.
11 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising adjusting a coupling effect between the first node and the input terminal of the first amplifier in response to the second signal.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the adjusting is executed during a boosting operation of the second circuit.
13 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the capacitor is connected between the first node and the second node through the first switch and connected between the first node and the third node through the first switch and the third circuit.
14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reference voltage is applied to a terminal of the second switch.
15 . A method of voltage generation by a first circuit, the first circuit comprising:
a second circuit configured to boost and supply a first voltage to a first node,
a third circuit configured to divide the first voltage and supply a divided voltage as a first monitor voltage to a second node,
a first amplifier whose input terminal is connected to the second node,
a second amplifier connected to a third node different from the second node, and
a capacitor connected between the first node and the second node, the method comprising:
outputting a first signal from an output terminal of the first amplifier based on the first monitor voltage and a reference voltage; and
controlling the second circuit based on the first signal input to the second circuit from the first amplifier.
16 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising establishing a connection between the capacitor and a third node supplied with a second voltage by a second switch when cutting off a connection between the capacitor and the second node, based on the first monitor voltage.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising outputting signals that drive a first switch and the second switch based on the first monitor voltage.
18 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
detecting a second monitor voltage based on the reference voltage; and
outputting signals that drive a first switch and the second switch based on a result of detecting the second monitor voltage.
19 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein
the first circuit further comprises:
a third switch connected to an output terminal of the second circuit, and
a fourth circuit configured to output a third voltage that drives the third switch, based on a clock signal, and
the method further comprises stopping supply of the clock signal to the fourth circuit when the second circuit is stopped, based on the first monitor voltage.
20 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the second voltage is the reference voltage.
21 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the third circuit configured to supply another divided voltage to the third node.
22 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the third node is provided between the first node and the second node in the third circuit.
23 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the second node and the third node are connection nodes between resistors in the third circuit.
24 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the second amplifier outputs a second signal to a fourth circuit.
25 . The method according to claim 24 , further comprising adjusting a coupling effect between the first node and the input terminal of the first amplifier in response to the second signal.
26 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein the adjusting is executed during a boosting operation of the second circuit.