Monolithic overvoltage protection device

• US 5,245,499 A
• Filed: 07/12/1991
• Issued: 09/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Senes, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): DEBOER, TODD
• Application Number:
  US07/728,226
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 361/56, 361/58, 361/91, 361/111, 357/23.13, 357/13, 357/38, 357/39, 357/53
• US Class Current: 361/56
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0259 using bipolar transistors as protective elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/87 Thyristor diodes, e.g. Shockley diodes, break-over diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/04 responsive to excess voltage lightning arrestors H01C7/12, H01C8/04, H01G9/18, H01T

Abstract

A protection device against overvoltages liable to occur between two supply terminals (A, B) comprises between the supply terminals, an avalanche triggered thyristor (6) having a determined break-over voltage (V_BO) This system further comprises a zener diode (4) in parallel and reversely connected with the thyristor; the diode is selected so that its avalanche voltage (V_BR) is lower than the break-over voltage of the thyristor and gets higher only for overvoltages having a higher duration or amplitude than a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A protection device against overvoltages liable to occur between two supply terminals (A, B) comprising, between said terminals, an avalanche triggered thyristor (6) having a determined break-over voltage (V_BO) further comprising a zener diode (4) in parallel and reversely connected with said thyristor, said diode being selected so that its avalanche voltage (V_BR) is lower than said break-over voltage and gets higher only for overvoltages having a duration of amplitude longer than a predetermined threshold.

2. A monolithic semiconductor component implementing the device according to claim 1, comprising an N-type semiconductor substrate (2) and comprising, in a first vertical portion, layers (21, 22, 23) adapted to form an avalanche triggered thyristor (6) and, in a second vertical portion, layers (25, 26) adapted to form a zener diode (4), the upper surface (28) of said semiconductor substrate being metallized and shorting the anode of said zener diode and the cathode of said thyristor, and the lower surface (29) of said semiconductor substrate being metallized and shorting the cathode of said zener diode and the anode of said thyristor, wherein an NP junction formed between said substrate (20) and a P type layer (21, 25) formed in said substrate adjacent said upper surface wherein is triggered the avalanche effect has a higher concentration gradient in said second portion than in said first portion.

3. A component according to claim 2, wherein in the upper surface of said substrate, is formed, in said first portion corresponding to said thyristor, a first P region (21) and, in the portion corresponding to said diode, a second P region (25), said second P region having a concentration gradient higher than the first one.

4. A component according to claim 2, wherein the upper surface of said substrate (20) comprises a P base region of said thyristor and a laterally adjacent P anode region of the diode, both formed adjacent said upper surface and, under the P base region (21, 25) of said thyristor and the anode region of the diode, respectively, a first N region (35) having a doping level higher than the substrate at said thyristor and a second N region (36) having a doping level higher than the first region at the diode.

5. An overvoltage protection device comprising:

a gateless avalanche triggered thyristor having a cathode and an anode and having a predetermined break-over voltage; and

a zener diode connected in parallel with said thyristor, an anode of said zener diode connected to said cathode of said thyristor and a cathode of said zener diode connected to said anode of said thyristor,

said zener diode having an avalanche voltage that is lower than said break-over voltage of said thyristor, said avalanche voltage increasing in response to overvoltages applied to said zener diode having a duration or an amplitude longer than a predetermined threshold.

6. The overvoltage protection device according to claim 5 further comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having upper and lower major surfaces with first and second electrodes respectively formed on said upper and lower major surfaces;

said zener diode including

(i) a first anode region formed in said upper major surface in contact with said first electrode, and

(ii) a first cathode region formed in said lower major surface in vertical alignment with said first anode region and in contact with said second electrode; and

said gateless avalanche triggered thyristor including

(i) a second cathode region formed in said upper major surface adjacent said first anode region and in contact with said first electrode, and

(ii) a second anode region formed in said lower major surface adjacent said first cathode region and in vertical alignment with said second cathode region, said second anode formed in contact with said second electrode.

7. The overvoltage protection device according to claim 6 wherein

said semiconductor substrate includes

(i) an upper layer of a first conductivity type formed in said upper surface of said substrate in contact with said first electrode, said upper layer forming said anode region of said zener diode, and

(ii) a central layer of a second conductivity type formed intermediate said first and second major surfaces;

said first cathode region is of said second conductivity type; and

said second anode region is of said first conductivity type.

8. The overvoltage protection device according to claim 7 wherein said first cathode region has a higher impurity concentration than an impurity concentration of said central region of said substrate.

9. The overvoltage protection device according to claim 7 wherein said second cathode region comprises a plurality of wells of said second conductivity type formed in said upper layer of said semiconductor substrate.

10. The overvoltage protection device according to claim 7 wherein said second cathode region comprises a well region formed in said upper layer of said semiconductor substrate and has a higher impurity concentration than an impurity concentration of said central region of said substrate.

11. The overvoltage protection device according to claim 7 wherein said semiconductor substrate further comprises a buried layer of said second conductivity type formed between said upper and central layers of said semiconductor substrate.

12. The overvoltage protection device according to claim 11 wherein said first and second cathode regions have higher impurity concentrations than an impurity concentration of said buried layer and said impurity concentration of said buried layer is higher than an impurity concentration of said central layer.

13. The monolithic semiconductor component, comprising:

an N-type semiconductor substrate having a first P type region formed in an upper major surface thereof;

a first vertical portion of said substrate including a first N-type region formed in said first P type region and a second P type region formed in a lower major surface of said substrate in said first vertical portion, said first vertical portion forming a gateless avalanche triggered thyristor;

a second vertical portion of said substrate laterally adjacent said first vertical portion including a second N-type region formed in said lower major surface of said substrate in said second vertical region adjacent said second P type region, said second vertical portion forming a zener diode; and

first and second metallization layers respectively formed on said upper and lower major surfaces of said substrate respectively connecting (i) an anode of said zener diode to a cathode of said thyristor, and (ii) a cathode of said zener diode to an anode of said thyristor,

an NP junction formed between said substrate and said first P-type region having a higher concentration gradient in said second vertical portion than in said first vertical portion.

14. A component according to claim 13, wherein, said first P-type region formed in said first vertical portion has a lower concentration gradient than in said second vertical portion.

15. A component according to claim 13 further comprising a third N-type region formed in said substrate under said first P-type region, said third N-type region having an impurity concentration higher in said first vertical portion than in said second vertical portion.