Protection of a telephone line against overvoltages
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Tours) SAS
InventorsJean-Michel Simonnet, Christian Ballon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A structure protects a SLIC telephone line interface against overvoltages lower than a negative threshold or higher than a positive threshold. The structure includes at least one thyristor connected between each conductor of the telephone line and a reference potential. For all of the included thyristors, a metallization corresponding to the main electrode on the gate side is in contact, by its entire surface, with a corresponding semiconductor region. Furthermore, the gate of each thyristor is directly connected to a voltage source defining one of the thresholds.
Claims11
A structure for protecting a first line and a second line against overvoltages lower than a negative threshold or higher than a positive threshold, comprising:
- at least one thyristor connected between each of the first and second lines and a reference potential;
- wherein, for all thyristors:
- a metallization corresponding to an electrode on a gate side, wherein that metallization is in contact, by its entire surface, with a surface of a corresponding semiconductor region;
- and
- the gate is directly connected to a voltage source providing a DC voltage defining one of said negative and positive thresholds.
A structure for protecting a first line and a second line against overvoltages lower than a negative threshold or higher than a positive threshold, comprising:
- at least one thyristor connected between each of the first and second lines and a reference potential;
- wherein:
- all thyristors have no emitter short circuits;
- and
- all thyristors have a semiconductor gate region maintained at one of a negative and positive DC potential by a gate electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.