Semiconductor devices and circuits with increased breakdown voltage
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYi-An Lai, Chan-Hong Chern, Cheng-Hsiang Hsieh
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Abstract
A switching circuit includes a main circuit including a number of first transistors. The main circuit has a first node, a second node, and a third node and is operative in response to a control signal received by the first node, and the second node is configured to receive a supply voltage. The switching circuit also includes an auxiliary circuit electrically coupled to the second node of the main circuit and configured to provide surge protection for the main circuit. The auxiliary circuit includes a second transistor. A breakdown voltage of the second transistor is different than a breakdown voltage of each first transistor of the number of first transistors.
Claims20
A switching circuit comprising:
- a main circuit comprising a plurality of first transistors and comprising a first node, a second node, and a third node, wherein the main circuit is operative in response to a control signal received by the first node, and the second node is configured to receive a supply voltage;
- an auxiliary circuit electrically coupled to the second node of the main circuit and configured to provide surge protection for the main circuit, wherein the auxiliary circuit comprises:
- a second transistor, wherein a breakdown voltage of the second transistor is different than a breakdown voltage of each transistor of the plurality of first transistors, and
- a plurality of diodes connected in serial, wherein one terminal of the plurality of diodes is electrically coupled to a gate terminal of the second transistor.
A circuit comprising:
- a main circuit comprising a plurality of first transistors in parallel connection and a first terminal coupled to a power line;
- a second transistor comprising a drain terminal electrically coupled to the first terminal of the main circuit and having a breakdown voltage higher than a breakdown voltage of the main circuit;
- and
- a capacitor comprising a first terminal electrically coupled to the first terminal of the main circuit and a second terminal electrically coupled to a gate terminal of the second transistor.
A circuit, comprising:
- a plurality of first transistors connected in parallel, wherein each transistor of the plurality of first transistors has a first gate structure and a first drain feature spaced from the first gate structure by a first distance;
- and
- a second transistor having a second gate structure and a second drain feature spaced from the second gate structure by a second distance the second distance is greater than the first distance,
- wherein the second drain feature is electrically coupled to the first drain features.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.