Integrated circuit protected against electrostatic discharges, with variable protection threshold

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

United States of America Patent

PATENT NO RE37477
SERIAL NO

08532011

Stats

ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)

Importance

Loading Importance Indicators... loading....

Abstract

See full text

To protect integrated circuits as efficiently as possible against electrostatic discharges, by putting a diode in avalanche mode without untimely triggering of this avalance mode by overvoltages of non-electrostatic origin, the following solution is proposed: through an insulated gate surrounding the cathode of the diode, the threshold for transition into avalanche mode of the diode is modified according to the slope of the overvoltages appearing at the terminal to be protected. The gate is connected to the terminal by an integrating circuit in such a way that the overvoltages are applied to the gate with a certain delay, inducing a potential difference between the cathode and the gate which is all the greater as the front of the overvoltage is steep. The avalanche triggering threshold is higher in the latter case than in the former one, and it is thus distinguish between overvoltages of diverse origins.

Loading the Abstract Image... loading....

First Claim

See full text

Family

Loading Family data... loading....

Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
SGS-THOMSON MICROELECTRONICS INC1310 ELECTRONICS DRIVE M/S 2345 CARROLLTON TX 75006

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Kowalski, Jacek Trets, FR 51 1225
Tailliet, Francois Epinay sur Seine, FR 80 438

Cited Art Landscape

Load Citation

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cite Landscape

Load Citation