Miscellaneous active electrical nonlinear devices – circuits – and – Signal converting – shaping – or generating – Amplitude control
Reexamination Certificate
2006-11-07
2006-11-07
Wells, Kenneth B. (Department: 2816)
Miscellaneous active electrical nonlinear devices, circuits, and
Signal converting, shaping, or generating
Amplitude control
C327S316000, C327S332000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07132873
ABSTRACT:
An N-channel transistor protection circuit and method are disclosed that prevent gated diode breakdown in N-channel transistors that have a high voltage on their drain. The disclosed N-channel protection circuit may be switched in a high voltage mode between a high voltage level and a lower rail voltage. A high voltage conversion circuit prevents gated diode breakdown in N-channel transistors by dividing the high voltage across two N-channel transistors, MXU0and MXU1, such that no transistor exceeds the breakdown voltage, Vbreakdown. An intermediate voltage drives the top N-channel transistor, MXU0. The top N-channel transistor, MXU0, is gated with a voltage level that is at least one N-channel threshold, Vtn, below the high voltage level, Vep, using the intermediate voltage level, nprot. The drain voltage of MXU0will be at least one N-channel threshold, Vtn, lower than the input voltage level, nprot, and the drain voltage Vdof the bottom N-channel transistor, MXU1, is limited to less than the breakdown voltage, Vbreakdown.
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Emosyn America, Inc.
Wells Kenneth B.
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