Circuit-protection devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A circuit-protection device, comprising:
- first and second circuit-protection units, each comprising first and second nodes; and
a gate that selectively electrically couples the first node of the first circuit-protection unit to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit in response to a voltage that is selectively applied to a control gate of the gate while a voltage is applied to the first node of the first circuit-protection unit and while a voltage is applied to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit, wherein the voltage that is selectively applied to the control gate of the gate is applied-separately from the voltage applied to the first node of the first circuit-protection unit and separately from the voltage applied to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit;
wherein the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are on a common active region of a single conductivity type; and
wherein the gate is configured to electrically isolate the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units from each other when the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are at different voltages and to couple the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units when the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are at about a same voltage that is higher than either of the different voltages.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an embodiment, a circuit-protection device has first and second circuit-protection units, each comprising first and second nodes. A gate is between the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units. The first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are on a common active region.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A circuit-protection device, comprising:
-
first and second circuit-protection units, each comprising first and second nodes; and a gate that selectively electrically couples the first node of the first circuit-protection unit to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit in response to a voltage that is selectively applied to a control gate of the gate while a voltage is applied to the first node of the first circuit-protection unit and while a voltage is applied to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit, wherein the voltage that is selectively applied to the control gate of the gate is applied-separately from the voltage applied to the first node of the first circuit-protection unit and separately from the voltage applied to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit; wherein the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are on a common active region of a single conductivity type; and wherein the gate is configured to electrically isolate the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units from each other when the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are at different voltages and to couple the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units when the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are at about a same voltage that is higher than either of the different voltages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A circuit-protection device, comprising:
-
first and second circuit-protection units, each comprising first and second nodes; and a gate coupled to the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units; wherein the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are on a common active region; and wherein the gate is configured to electrically isolate the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units from each other when the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are at different voltages and to couple the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units when the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are at about a same voltage that is higher than either of the different voltages. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
-
-
12. A circuit-protection device, comprising:
-
first and second circuit-protection units, each comprising first and second nodes; and a gate coupled to the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units; wherein the gate is configured to selectively electrically couple the first node of the first circuit-protection unit to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit in response to a voltage that is selectively applied to a control gate of the gate while a voltage is applied to the first node of the first circuit-protection unit and while a voltage is applied to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit, wherein the voltage that is selectively applied to the control gate of the gate is applied separately from the voltage applied to the first node of the first circuit-protection unit and separately from the voltage applied to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit; wherein the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are on a common active region of a single conductivity type; wherein the first node of the first circuit-protection unit comprises a first source/drain of the gate and the first node of the second circuit-protection unit comprises a second source/drain of the gate; and wherein the gate is configured to electrically isolate the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units from each other when the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are at different voltages and to couple the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units when the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are at about a same voltage that is higher than either of the different voltages. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. A circuit-protection device, comprising:
-
first and second circuit-protection units, each comprising first and second nodes; and a gate coupled to the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units; wherein the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are on a common active region; and wherein the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are coupled to data lines of a memory array, and wherein the second nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are coupled to a data cache and/or a data register. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
-
17. A circuit-protection device, comprising:
-
first and second circuit-protection units, each comprising first and second nodes; and a gate coupled to the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units; wherein the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are on a common active region; and wherein the second nodes of the first and second circuit-protection units are configured to be coupled to low-voltage circuitry and the first nodes of the first and second circuit-protection units are configured to be respectively coupled to circuitries that can be at high voltages or at different low voltages.
-
-
18. A memory device having a circuit-protection device, comprising:
-
first and second transistors, each comprising first and second source/drains; and a third transistor between the first source/drains of first and second transistors, the third transistor comprising a first source/drain coupled to the first source/drain of the first transistor and a second source/drain coupled to the first source/drain of the second transistor; wherein the first source/drains of first and second transistors and the first and second source/drains of the third transistor are formed in a common active region and wherein the third transistor is over the common active region; and wherein the first source/drains of first and second transistors are coupled to data lines of the memory device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A circuit-protection system, comprising:
-
first and second circuit-protection devices, each first and second circuit-protection device comprising; successively adjacent first and second circuit-protection units, each of the first and second circuit-protection units between and coupled to first and second nodes; and a gate between and coupled to the first nodes coupled to the successively adjacent first and second circuit-protection units of the respective circuit-protection device; wherein the first nodes are in a common active region of the respective circuit-protection device; and wherein the second node coupled to the first circuit-protection unit of the second circuit-protection device is between the second nodes coupled to the first and second circuit-protection units of the first circuit-protection device. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification