A circuit and method are given, to realize a high efficiency voltage
multiplier for integrated circuits generating an internal and flexible
positive or negative high voltage on-chip supply voltage from low
external positive or negative supply voltages or ground. Applying
multi-phase control signals to voltage boost internal nodes allows for
eliminating threshold voltage drop losses and thus improves the voltage
pumping gain compared to circuits with diode-configured FETs of prior
art. Making use of voltage signals from antecedent stages in order to
bias the bulk of MOS transistors fabricated in triple-well technology
enables relaxing of the gate oxide stress within high order stage MOS
transistors. Such a method, called leap-frog bulk potential tracking
method, makes MOS transistors from different stages exhibit about the
same body effect, which is very important because MOS transistors of
higher order stages now show the same performance as MOS transistors from
lower order stages. Important also in terms of efficiency as the charge
sharing speed of high order MOS transistors always dominates the total
charge pump performance and the driving force of pumped currents, thus
also allowing for a greater number of serially connectable stages overall
or a smaller number necessary for a certain targeted output voltage.