Patent · US Expired

Forward overvoltage protection circuit for a vertical semiconductor component

US5543645A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
4References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 23, 1993
Grant dateAug 6, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 23, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D84/141

Abstract

A MOS-type vertical power transistor formed in a semiconductor layer having a bottom surface which constitutes a first electrode and a top surface, the transistor further includes a large number of identical cells that are connected in parallel with a second electrode and a control electrode formed on the top surface. The power transistor includes at least one additional cell, formed in the semiconductor layer, having the same shape as the identical cells but a smaller lateral size than the identical cells, and a circuit to turn on the power transistor when the additional cell reaches an avalanche mode.

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