ELECTROSTATIC BREAKDOWN PROTECTION CIRCUIT AND SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE THEREWITH

• US 20090080128A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsuchihashi, Masanori
• Granted Patent: US 7,859,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/56
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0259 using bipolar transistors as protective elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/08 Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage

Abstract

A protection circuit according to the present invention includes: a diode (D1) having an anode thereof connected to a gate signal input terminal and a cathode thereof connected to the gate of an output transistor (N1); a resistor (R1) having one end thereof connected to the gate signal input terminal and the other end thereof connected to ground; a PNP bipolar transistor (Qp1) having the emitter, base and collector thereof connected to the gate of the output transistor (N1), the one end of the resistor (R1) and ground, respectively. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent, without the need for electric power, an open-drain output transistor from erroneously turning on as a result of an electrostatic pulse or the like being applied thereto, and thus to protect the output transistor from electrostatic breakdown.

Claims

1. An electrostatic breakdown protection circuit for protecting an open-drain output transistor from electrostatic breakdown, the electrostatic breakdown protection circuit comprising:

a diode having an anode thereof connected to a signal input terminal leading to the output transistor, and having a cathode thereof connected to a gate of the output transistor;

a first resistor having one end thereof connected to the signal input terminal, and having the other end thereof connected to ground; and

a PNP bipolar transistor or a P-channel field effect transistor

having an emitter or a source thereof connected to the gate of the output transistor,

having a base or a gate thereof connected to the one end of the first resistor and

having a collector or a drain connected to ground.

2. The electrostatic breakdown protection circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a clamp element connected in parallel to the output transistor, a trigger voltage of the clamp element being set lower than a design withstand voltage of the output transistor.

3. The electrostatic breakdown protection circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a second resistor connected between the collector of the PNP bipolar transistor or the drain of the P-channel field effect transistor and ground; and

a plurality of stages of NPN bipolar transistors connected in a Darlington configuration between the gate of the output transistor and ground, a first-stage one of the NPN bipolar transistors having a base thereof connected to one end of the second resistor.

4. A semiconductor integrated circuit device including an open-drain output transistor, an inverter for inputting a signal to a gate of the output transistor and an electrostatic breakdown protection circuit for protecting the output transistor from electrostatic breakdown,

wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit device comprises as said electrostatic breakdown protection circuit the electrostatic breakdown protection circuit of claim 1.