# US 7,411,376 B2 · Voltage regulator having overcurrent protection circuit and method manufacturing voltage regulator

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- Number: US 7,411,376 B2
- Document ID: US7411376B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/061,495
- Filed: 2005-02-18
- Published: 2005-08-25
- Granted: 2008-08-12
- Earliest claimed: 2004-02-18
- Assignees: Seiko Instruments Inc.
- Inventors: Wei Zhang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7411376B2

## CPC

- G05F 1/575: characterised by the feedback circuit
- G11C 5/147: {Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops (G11C5/141 takes precedence)}
- G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

A voltage regulator has a sense transistor through which a sense current flows in accordance with a magnitude of a load current, and a sense resistor through which the sense current flows. A control transistor controls the load current in accordance with a voltage across the sense resistor. A current measurement transistor measures the sense current flowing through the sense transistor and is disposed adjacent to the sense transistor. A measuring characteristics transistor measures characteristics of the control transistor and is disposed adjacent to the control transistor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A voltage regulator comprising:
a sense transistor through which a sense current flows in accordance with a magnitude of a load current;
a sense resistor through which the sense current flows;
a control transistor that controls the load current in accordance with a voltage across the sense resistor;
a current measurement transistor that measures the sense current flowing through the sense transistor, the current measurement transistor being disposed adjacent to the sense transistor;
a measuring characteristics transistor that measures characteristics of the control transistor, the measuring characteristic transistor being disposed adjacent to the control transistor; and
a fuse element that is cut after the current measurement transistor measures the sense current and the measuring characteristics transistor measures the characteristics of the control transistor so that a current cannot flow through the current measurement transistor and the measuring characteristics transistor;
wherein a current that flows through the current measurement transistor is equal to the sense current that flows through the sense transistor.