Gate oxide voltage limiting devices for digital circuits
US5892371A · kind A · utility
39Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 12, 1996 |
| Grant date | Apr 6, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 12, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K19/00315
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An oxide protection circuit prevents failure of the MOS transistors in a digital device. A voltage difference at a gate oxide of a digital device does not exceed a breakdown voltage magnitude. The gate oxide protection circuit includes a plurality of transistors which turn OFF or ON when a node reaches a predetermined voltage of V.sub.refp +V.sub.t or V.sub.refn -V.sub.t, where V.sub.refp and V.sub.refn are reference applied at a gate of a PMOS or an NMOS transistor, and V.sub.t equals a threshold voltage of the MOS transistor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.