Power component state detector
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorJean-Michel Simonnet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A detector of the state (on or off) of a vertical power component formed in a lightly-doped semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type having a front surface and a rear surface. The region corresponding to the power component is surrounded with an isolating wall of opposite type to that of the substrate. This state detector is formed outside of said region and is formed with a vertical detection component, the state of which is switched by parasitic charges propagating outside of the isolating wall when the power component is on.
Claims14
A state detector that detects an on or off state of a vertical power component formed in a lightly-doped semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type having a front surface and a rear surface, in which a region corresponding to the vertical power component is surrounded with an isolating wall of opposite type to that of the substrate, the state detector being formed outside of said region and being formed with a vertical detection component, the state of which is switched by parasitic charges propagating outside of the isolating wall when the power component is on;
- wherein the rear surface of a semiconductive layer including the vertical power component and the vertical detection component is coated with a metallization connected to a reference potential;
- and
- wherein a front surface metallization of the vertical detection component is connected to a voltage which is fixed with respect to the reference potential.
A state detector that detects an on or off state of a vertical power component formed in a lightly-doped semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type having a front surface and a rear surface, in which a region corresponding to the vertical power component is surrounded with an isolating wall of opposite type to that of the substrate, the state detector being formed outside of said region and being formed with a vertical detection component, the state of which is switched by parasitic charges propagating outside of the isolating wall when the power component is on;
- wherein the state detector is formed of a vertical transistor, and the substrate forms a base of the vertical transistor.
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a main switch having on and off states, formed on a substrate;
- a detector switch having on and off states, formed on the substrate;
- and
- an isolating wall formed on the substrate and separating the main and detector switches, wherein the state of the detector switch represents the state of the main switch in response to charge carriers permeating the isolating wall.
A method for detecting a state of a first switch, comprising acts of:
- providing a second switch on a substrate with the first switch, wherein the second switch is separated from the first switch by an isolating wall;
- and
- detecting the state of the first switch with the second switch by detecting charge carriers permeating the isolating wall, wherein the state of the second switch is determined by the state of the first switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.