Semiconductor integrated circuit with input protection circuit

Details Semiconductor integrated circuit with input protection circuit Semiconductor integrated circuit with input protection circuit

1988-02-22

1989-07-18

Heyman, John S.

Electrical transmission or interconnection systems

Nonlinear reactor systems

Parametrons

3072721, 307443, 307592, 307100, 3072965, 3072723, H03K 301, H03K 1716

Patent

active

048496545

ABSTRACT:
A semiconductor device having an input protection circuit is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a power-on reset circuit which generates a pulse having a pulse width determined according to an input surge, applied to an input terminal when an input voltage has risen to a preset level. In response to a pulse generated by the power-on reset circuit, a CMOS inverter supplies a predetermined voltage to the base of a bipolar transistor and controls the bipolar transistor so that it clamps an input voltage supplied thereto to a voltage level lower than the withstanding voltage of the internal circuit in a period corresponding to the pulse width. Thus, the input protection circuit constituted by the bipolar transistor clamps an input voltage, supplied by the input terminal to the internal circuit, to a predetermined level. In this invention, the control circuit activates the bipolar transistor at the time the input voltage rises and keeps it active while the power-on reset circuit is generating a pulse, causing an input surge to be bypassed through the bipolar transistor, during this period of time. Thus, the input voltage can be clamped to a level lower than the withstanding voltage of the internal circuit, protecting the internal circuit, even when a surge voltage higher than the withstanding voltage is generated.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4607178 (1986-08-01), Sugie et al.
patent: 4626249 (1971-12-01), Snedeker
patent: 4628218 (1986-12-01), Nakaizumi
patent: 4716302 (1987-12-01), Fannagan et al.

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