Self-protected semiconductor protection component
AssigneeSGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.A.
InventorRobert Pezzani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A monolithic protection semiconductor component is connected between a first semiconductor region apparent on a first surface of a semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor region apparent on a second surface. The first region is divided into several non-overlapping areas. Each area is connected to a common electrode through a fuse such as a gold filament.
Claims26
A monolithic semiconductor protection component, to be disposed between and coupled to first and second inputs of a circuit to be protected, the first input receiving a supply voltage and being coupled to a common electrode of the protection component, the protection component comprising a first semiconductor region disposed at a first surface of a semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor region disposed at a second surface of the semiconductor substrate, the first region being divided into more than one nonoverlapping substantially identical area and each nonoverlapping substantially identical area being connected to the common electrode by a respective fuse, wherein each nonoverlapping substantially identical areas provides redundant protection to said circuit to be protected, and when one of said nonoverlapping substantially identical area short circuits to said second semiconductor region, said respective fuse opens and separates said nonoverlapping substantially identical area from said supply voltage.
A monolithic semiconductor protection component, to be disposed between and coupled to first and second inputs of a circuit to be protected the first input receiving a supply voltage and being coupled to a common electrode of the protection component, said component comprising:
- a plurality of avalanche diodes each having a substantially same breakdown threshold, disposed in parallel in a semiconductor substrate and coupled between the common electrode and a second electrode, to be coupled to the second input of the circuit to be protected;
- and
- a plurality of fuses, respectively coupling a first region of each avalanche diode in the plurality of avalanche diodes to the common electrode, each said avalanche diode providing redundant protection to said circuit to be protected, wherein when one of said avalanche diodes short circuits, the respective fuse associated with the one said avalanche diode opens and separates the one said avalanche diode from said supply voltage.
A monolithic protection component, to be disposed between and coupled to first and second inputs of a circuit to be protected the first input receiving a supply voltage and being coupled to a first electrode of the protection component, the protection component comprising:
- a plurality of means, disposed in parallel between the first electrode and a second electrode and having a semiconductor construction, for clipping a voltage applied to the first electrode of the protection component to a predetermined value, wherein each means for clipping clips at a substantially same threshold voltage;
- and
- a plurality of fuses, respectively coupling a first region of each means for clipping in the plurality of means for clipping to the first electrode, each means for clipping providing redundant protection to said circuit to be protected, wherein when one of said means for clipping short circuits, the respective fuse opens and separates the one said means for clipping from said supply voltage.
A monolithic component for protecting a circuit having first and second inputs, the first input coupled to a supply voltage that generates a source current, the component adapted to be coupled between the first and second inputs of the circuit, and comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of overvoltage protection devices disposed in parallel and formed in the substrate and coupled between the first and second inputs, wherein each overvoltage protection device has substantially a same voltage breakdown threshold so that during an overvoltage greater than or equal to the voltage breakdown threshold each of the plurality of overvoltage protection devices simultaneously conducts substantially a same amount of source current;
- and
- a plurality of fuses, each fuse respectively coupling a first region of each of said plurality of overvoltage devices to the first input, wherein each fuse is constructed to open only when conducting substantially all of the source current when a respective overvoltage device associated with the one of the plurality of fuses short circuits, and being constructed to not open when said plurality of overvoltage protection devices are simultaneously conducting substantially the same amount of source current, wherein when one of the plurality of overvoltage protection devices short circuits, the one of the plurality of overvoltage devices that short circuits conducts substantially all of the source current and the overvoltage protection devices that are not short circuited conduct substantially no current until the respective fuse is opened.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.