SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT

• US 20110235224A1
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ON Semiconductor Trading, Ltd (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ono, Masahiro, KASHIMA, Kyouichi, Fukushima, Yoshitaka, Hirano, Tetsuro
• Granted Patent: US 9,136,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/62
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits

Abstract

A circuit device connected between a neighboring pair of terminals in a semiconductor integrated circuit is protected from electrostatic damage due to a surge voltage when the surge voltage is applied between the neighboring pair of terminals. The semiconductor integrated circuit is formed to include terminals P0-P14, MOS transistors MN0-MN15 in diode connection, protection diode circuits HD0-HD14, MOS transistors T1-T14 for discharging electricity from batteries, a battery voltage detection control circuit and a clamp circuit for overvoltage protection. Each of the MOS transistors T1-T14 for discharging electricity from the batteries is connected between each neighboring pair of the terminals P0-P14 through wirings. Each of the MOS transistors MN1-MN14 in diode connection is connected between each neighboring pair of the terminals.

Claims

1. A semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

a plurality of terminals, a battery being connected between each neighboring pair of the plurality of terminals;

a circuit device connected between the neighboring pair of the terminals; and

an overvoltage protection device connected between the neighboring pair of the terminals and protecting the circuit device from an overvoltage applied between the neighboring pair of the terminals.

2. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the circuit device comprises a switching device, and the semiconductor integrated circuit further comprising a battery voltage detection control circuit detecting a voltage of the battery connected between the neighboring pair of the terminals and controlling turning on/off of the switching device according to a result of the detecting of the voltage of the battery.

3. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the overvoltage protection device comprises a diode or a MOS transistor, a gate and a source of the MOS transistor being connected to each other.

4. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a power supply line and a clamp circuit, the power supply line being connected to one of the plurality of terminals, and the clamp circuit being connected between a ground and the power supply line and clamping an electric potential on the power supply line.

5. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the clamp circuit comprises a plurality of MOS transistors connected in series, a gate and a source of each of the plurality of MOS transistors being connected to each other.

6. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a power supply line and a plurality of protection diode circuits, the power supply line being connected to one of the plurality of terminals, and each of the protection diode circuits being connected to each of the plurality of terminals, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of protection diode circuits comprises a first diode and a second diode, the first diode being connected between the terminal and the power supply line, and the second diode being connected between the terminal and a ground.

7. A semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

a first terminal;

a second terminal;

a third terminal;

a first battery being connected between the first terminal and the second terminal, a second battery being connected between the second terminal and the third terminal;

a first circuit device connected between the first terminal and the second terminal;

a first overvoltage protection device being connected between the first terminal and the second terminal and protecting the first circuit device from an overvoltage;

a second circuit device connected between the second terminal and the third terminal;

a second overvoltage protection device being connected between the second terminal and the third terminal and protecting the second circuit device from an overvoltage;

a protection diode circuit connected to the second terminal; and

a third overvoltage protection device connected between the first terminal and the third terminal.

8. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein the first circuit device comprises a first switching device, and the second circuit device comprises a second switching device, and the semiconductor integrated circuit further comprising a battery voltage detection control circuit detecting a voltage of the first battery and a voltage of the second battery, and controlling turning on/off of the first and second switching devices according to results of the detecting of the voltages of the first and second batteries.

9. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein the first, second and third overvoltage protection devices comprise diodes or MOS transistors, a gate and a source of each of the MOS transistors being connected to each other.

10. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 7, further comprising a power supply line connected to the first terminal, wherein the protection diode circuit comprises a first diode and a second diode, the first diode being connected between the power supply line and the second terminal, and the second diode being connected between the second terminal and a ground.