Patent · US Expired

Gate-source protective circuit for a power MOSFET

US5172290A · kind A · utility

7Cited by

3References

3Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

Ludwig Leipold · Munich, DE
Jenoe Tihanyi · Tauberbischofsheim, DE
Roland Weber · Munich, DE
Rainald Sander · Oberhaching, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Jul 20, 1989
Grant date	Dec 15, 1992
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 20, 2009

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH10D89/601
WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The gate-source capacitance of a power MOSFET (1) can be protected against positive and negative excess voltages by two integrated Zener diodes (3, 4) the anodes of which are coupled to each other and the cathodes of which are respectively coupled to the gate and source terminals of the power MOSFET. However, when a control voltage is applied, the parasitic bipolar transistor associated with one of the Zener diodes is switched on and prevents the MOSFET from completely switching on. The parasitic bipolar transistor is rendered harmless by the fact that the anode terminal is coupled to a source terminal (S) MOSFET (1) when a gate-source voltage is applied.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.