Patent · US Active

Voltage clamp circuit and semiconductor device, overcurrent protection circuit, voltage measurement probe, voltage measurement device and semiconductor evaluation device respectively using the same

US7733105B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
5References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 13, 2008
Grant dateJun 8, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 1, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/2621
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a voltage clamp circuit, a normally-on type field-effect transistor having a negative threshold voltage has a drain connected to an input node, a source connected to an output node and grounded via a resistance element, and a gate supplied with an output voltage of a variable direct-current power supply. When a voltage at the output node becomes higher than a clamping voltage because of voltage drop of the resistance element, the field-effect transistor is tuned off. Accordingly, the output voltage is limited to be at most the clamping voltage. Thus, a response speed is higher than those of conventional voltage clamp circuits using diodes or the like.

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