Voltage level shifting circuit and method

Abstract

A voltage level shifting circuit and method that can be used for shifting the voltage level of an input signal to provide an output signal having a higher output voltage level. The voltage level shifting circuit includes pull-up transistors that are switched OFF by the voltage of a pair of switching nodes and not the voltage at the output node. The speed at which the pull-up transistors can be switched OFF is decoupled to some extent from the speed at which the voltage at the output node changes. Additionally, having the output node separated from the nodes that switch the pull-up transistors OFF further allows for dimensions of the various transistors of the voltage level shifting circuit to be scaled advantageously.

1 . A voltage shifting circuit, comprising: 
 a first current path from a voltage supply to ground, the first path having a first input signal node to which an input signal is coupled, a first output signal node from which an output signal is provided, a first pull-up node, and a first switching node, the first discharge path coupling the voltage supply to the first output signal node under control of the first pull-up node and coupling the switching node to ground in response to the input signal;    a second current path from the voltage supply to ground, the second path having a second input signal node to which a complementary input signal is coupled, a second output signal node from which a complementary output signal provided, a second pull-up node coupled to the first switching node, and a second switching node coupled to the first pull-up node, the second discharge path coupling the voltage supply to the second output signal node under control of the second pull-up node and coupling the second switching node to ground in response to the complementary input signal; and    a third current path from the output signal node to ground, the third path coupling the output signal node to ground in response to the input signal.    
   
   
       2 - 38 . (canceled)