# US 12,604,534 B2 · Protection circuit and semiconductor integrated circuit device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,604,534 B2 - Document ID: US12604534B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/356,661 - Filed: 2023-07-21 - Published: 2023-11-09 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2021-02-03 - Assignees: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Akira Asao; Kiyoshi Sasai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12604534B2 ## CPC - H10D 89/813: {specially adapted to provide an electrical current path other than the field-effect induced current path} - H03K 17/10: Modifications for increasing the maximum permissible switched voltage - H03K 19/003: Modifications for increasing the reliability {for protection} - H10D 84/811: {Combinations of field-effect devices and one or more diodes, capacitors or resistors} - H10D 89/911: {using passive elements as protective elements} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A first gate drive outputs a first drive voltage to turn a first transistor on upon occurrence of a condition in which a voltage at a supply terminal is higher than a voltage at a ground terminal, the output first drive voltage being higher than the voltage at the ground terminal. A second gate drive outputs a second drive voltage to turn a second transistor on, upon occurrence of a condition in which the voltage at the supply terminal is lower than the voltage at the ground terminal, the output second drive voltage being higher than the voltage at the supply terminal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A protection circuit for preventing an overcurrent caused by applying a supply voltage having a reverse polarity to a circuit to which power is supplied via a ground terminal and a supply terminal, the protection circuit comprising: a first transistor including a gate and a bulk, and being a p-type field effect transistor (FET), the first transistor being provided in a path between the supply terminal and a common node; a second transistor including a gate and a bulk, and being the p-type FET, the second transistor being provided in a path between the ground terminal and the common node; a third transistor including a bulk, and being the p-type FET, and the third transistor being provided in a path between the supply terminal and the circuit; a first gate drive configured to output a first drive voltage to the gate of the first transistor; and a second gate drive configured to output a second drive voltage to the gate of the second transistor, wherein the bulk of each of the first transistor, the second transistor, and the third transistor is in communication with the common node, wherein the first gate drive is configured to output the first drive voltage to turn the first transistor off, upon occurrence of a condition in which a voltage at the supply terminal is lower than a voltage at the ground terminal, and output the first drive voltage to turn the first transistor on, upon occurrence of a condition in which the voltage at the supply terminal is higher than the voltage at the ground terminal, the output first drive voltage being maintained higher than the voltage at the ground terminal, and wherein the second gate drive is configured to output the second drive voltage to turn the second transistor off, upon occurrence in a condition in which the voltage at the supply terminal is higher than the voltage at the ground terminal, and output the second drive voltage to turn the second transistor on, upon occurrence of a condition in which the voltage at the supply terminal is lower than the voltage at the ground terminal, the output second drive voltage being maintained higher than the voltage at the supply terminal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The protection circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first gate drive includes a first rectifier provided in a path between the supply terminal and the gate of the first transistor, the first rectifier being configured to: become conductive, upon occurrence of a condition in which the voltage at the supply terminal is higher than a voltage at the gate of the first transistor, and be turned off, upon occurrence of a condition in which the voltage at the supply terminal is lower than the voltage at the gate of the first transistor, and a first resistor provided in a path between the gate of the first transistor and the ground terminal, and wherein the second gate drive includes a second rectifier provided in a path between the ground terminal and the gate of the second transistor, the second rectifier being configured to: become conductive, upon occurrence of a condition in which the voltage at the ground terminal is higher than the voltage at the gate of the second transistor, and be turned off, upon occurrence of a condition in which the voltage at the ground terminal is lower than the voltage at the gate of the second transistor, and a second resistor provided in a path between the gate of the second transistor and the supply terminal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The protection circuit according to claim 2, wherein the first rectifier includes a fourth transistor provided in the path between the supply terminal and the gate of the first transistor, the fourth transistor being the p-type FET and including a gate electrically coupled to the gate of the first transistor, and wherein the second rectifier includes a fifth transistor provided in the path between the ground terminal and the gate of the second transistor, the second rectifier being the p-type FET and including a gate electrically coupled to the gate of the second transistor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The protection circuit according to claim 3, wherein a bulk of each of the fourth transistor and the fifth transistor is in communication with the common node. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The protection circuit according to claim 4, wherein the bulk of each of the first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor, the fourth transistor, and the fifth transistor is included in a common n-type impurity diffusion region. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The protection circuit according to claim 1, further comprising: a third gate drive configured to output a third drive voltage to the gate of the third transistor, wherein the third gate drive is configured to output the third drive voltage to turn the third transistor off, upon occurrence of a condition in which the voltage at the supply terminal is lower than the voltage at the ground terminal, and output the third drive voltage to turn the third transistor on, upon occurrence of a condition in which the voltage at the supply terminal is higher than the voltage at the ground terminal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The protection circuit according to claim 6, wherein the third gate drive includes a third resistor provided in a path between the gate of the third transistor and the ground terminal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The protection circuit according to claim 1, wherein the circuit includes an n-type FET including a bulk in communication with the ground terminal, and wherein the n-type FET is provided in a path between the gate of the third transistor and the ground terminal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising: a circuit to which power is configured to be supplied via a ground terminal and a supply terminal; and the protection circuit of claim 1.