Patent attributes
A low power charge pump system having a plurality of charge pump cells. Each cell is a three transistor device that operates to transfer voltage from an input node to an output node of the cell when the input voltage is substantially greater than the output voltage and to block when the output voltage is substantially greater than the input voltage. Each cell has a pump capacitor is connected between a clock and its output, the odd-numbered cells having a first clock connected to their pump capacitors and the even-numbered cells having a second clock connected to their pump capacitors. During a first phase of either the first or second clock, the cell operates to transfer a voltage on its input node to its output node and during a second phase, the cell operates to boost its output voltage by a predetermined amount.