Semiconductor device having a protection circuit, and electronic

Details Semiconductor device having a protection circuit, and electronic Semiconductor device having a protection circuit, and electronic

1993-01-28

1997-06-10

Gaffin, Jeffrey A.

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Safety and protection of systems and devices

Circuit interruption by thermal sensing

361 58, H02H 504

Patent

active

056382464

ABSTRACT:
In a semiconductor device including a power MOSFET (M.sub.0) for the output stage, a temperature detection circuit produces an output signal upon detecting an abnormal rise in the chip temperature, the signal turns on a set input element (M.sub.1) in a latch circuit so that the latch circuit becomes a set state, the set output of the latch circuit turns on a control element (M.sub.5), causing the power MOSFET to become non-conductive so that it is protected from destruction. The latch circuit is not brought to a reset state even if the external gate terminal of the device is brought to zero volt. With a voltage outside the range of the normal input signal, e.g., a large negative voltage, being applied to the external gate terminal, the gate capacitance of the control element (M.sub.5) discharges, and consequently the latch circuit is brought to the reset state and the protective operation is cancelled. The semiconductor device is further provided with an external reset terminal, and the protective operation can also be cancelled through the application of a reset signal to the external reset terminal. The semiconductor device is protected from destruction and also from deterioration of characteristics of the power MOSFET (M.sub.0), and yet the protective operation is not cancelled erroneously by the normal input signal.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4750079 (1988-06-01), Fay et al.
patent: 4837458 (1989-06-01), Kawahata et al.
patent: 5128823 (1992-07-01), Fujimoto et al.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Semiconductor device having a protection circuit, and electronic does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Semiconductor device having a protection circuit, and electronic, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Semiconductor device having a protection circuit, and electronic will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-769803