Surge protection apparatus
AssigneeHalo Microelectronics International
InventorsZhao Fang, Wenchao Qu, Gangqiang Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a first diode and a second diode connected in series between a first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal, a switch connected between the first voltage terminal and the second voltage terminal, and a clamping threshold circuit connected between a common node of the first diode and the second diode, and a gate of the switch, wherein the clamping threshold circuit is configured such that in response to a voltage surge applied to the common node of the first diode and the second diode, the switch is turned on once the voltage surge is greater than a predetermined threshold.
Claims16
An apparatus comprising:
- a first diode and a second diode connected in series between a first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal;
- a switch connected between the first voltage terminal and the second voltage terminal;
- and
- a clamping threshold circuit connected between a common node of the first diode and the second diode, and a gate of the switch, wherein the clamping threshold circuit comprises a third diode, a current mirror and a plurality of Zener diodes connected in series, and a gate drive circuit coupled between the current mirror and the gate of the switch, and wherein the clamping threshold circuit is configured such that in response to a voltage surge applied to the common node of the first diode and the second diode, the switch is turned on once the voltage surge is greater than a predetermined threshold.
A device comprising:
- a first semiconductor element and a second semiconductor element connected in series between a first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal;
- a first switch connected between the first voltage terminal and the second voltage terminal;
- and
- a clamping threshold circuit connected between a common node of the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element, and a control terminal of the first switch, wherein the clamping threshold circuit is configured such that the first switch is turned on once a voltage on the common node of the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element exceeds a predetermined threshold, and wherein the first semiconductor element is a first diode, the second semiconductor element is a second diode, and the control terminal of the first switch is a gate of the first switch, and wherein the clamping threshold circuit comprises:
- a third diode, a current mirror and a plurality of Zener diodes connected in series;
- and
- a gate drive circuit coupled between the current mirror and the gate of the first switch.
A system comprising:
- an integrated circuit having a plurality of terminals to be protected;
- a plurality of diodes, each of which has an anode connected to a corresponding terminal of the plurality of terminals to be protected;
- and
- a surge protection apparatus coupled between a first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal, wherein cathodes of the plurality of diodes are connected together and further connected to an input of the surge protection apparatus, and wherein the surge protection apparatus comprises a current mirror and a plurality of Zener diodes connected in series, and a gate drive circuit coupled between the current mirror and a gate of a switch connected between the first voltage terminal and the second voltage terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.