Input protection circuit for semiconductor device
First Claim
1. An input protection circuit for a semiconductor device, comprising:
- a first power supply node on a first power supply line coupled to receive an externally applied power supply voltage at a first level;
a second power supply node on a second power supply line coupled to receive a power supply voltage corresponding to said externally applied power supply voltage and different from a ground voltage; and
a high voltage conducting mechanism having a first node coupled to said first power supply node and a second node coupled to said second power supply node, and responsive to a voltage, applied to said first power supply node, being at a second level greater than the first level, for being rendered conductive to electrically connect said first and second nodes with each other.
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Abstract
Between an external power supply line and an internal power supply line in which an internal power supply potential is transmitted on a substrate region, a high voltage conducting mechanism is provided, which is rendered conductive when a transitional high voltage surge is generated at the external power supply line by electrically connecting the external power supply line and the internal power supply line. Even when the ground line and external power supply line are not arranged parallel to each other, a high voltage conducting mechanism constituted by a field transistor or an insulated gate type field effect transistor having wide width over a long distance can be formed.
10 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An input protection circuit for a semiconductor device, comprising:
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a first power supply node on a first power supply line coupled to receive an externally applied power supply voltage at a first level; a second power supply node on a second power supply line coupled to receive a power supply voltage corresponding to said externally applied power supply voltage and different from a ground voltage; and a high voltage conducting mechanism having a first node coupled to said first power supply node and a second node coupled to said second power supply node, and responsive to a voltage, applied to said first power supply node, being at a second level greater than the first level, for being rendered conductive to electrically connect said first and second nodes with each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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12. An input protection circuit for a semiconductor device, comprising:
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an external power supply pad receiving an external power supply voltage at a first level; and a high voltage conducting means having a first node connected to said external power supply pad and a second node coupled to a semiconductor substrate region, and rendered conductive in response to a surge voltage at a second level, greater than the first level, being applied to said first node, for electrically connecting said first and second nodes with each other to absorb said surge voltage in said semiconductor substrate region, said semiconductor substrate region is coupled to a bias source and receives a bias voltage different from a ground voltage therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification