Gate controller for a charge pump converter

Provided is a gate controller having a primary signal input which is AC coupled to the gate through a capacitor, one or more bias inputs each connected to the gate through a resistor such as to control the DC voltage bias of the gate and therefore the conductivity of the switching element. The bias inputs can be properly connected to internal nodes of the charge pump, or charge pump stages, such that the gate controller is self-biased, without using bias-reference external to the charge pump. The gate controller can be made programmable by using potentiometers in place of the bias resistors. The programmable gate controller stages can be connected to form a programmable gate controlled charge pump.