# US 9,438,034 B2 · Transient voltage suppressor

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- Number: US 9,438,034 B2
- Document ID: US9438034B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/155,370
- Filed: 2014-01-15
- Published: 2015-07-16
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-01-15
- Assignees: Nanya Technology Corporation
- Applicants: Nanya Technology Corporation
- Inventors: Wei-Fan Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438034B2

## CPC

- H02H 9/046: {responsive to excess voltage appearing at terminals of integrated circuits}
- H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H)

## Abstract

The invention provides a voltage regulator including a transient voltage suppressor. The transient voltage suppressor includes N first transistors and N semiconductor units. The N first transistors are coupled between a reference ground and N pads respectively, and the N transistors are controlled by a voltage on a reference power line. The N semiconductor units are coupled between the reference ground and the N pads respectively, or coupled between the reference power line and the N pads respectively. N is a positive integer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transient voltage suppressor, comprising: N first transistors, respectively having N bases which are directly connected to a reference power line, N emitters which are directly connected to a reference ground, and N collectors which are directly connected to N pads respectively, wherein the first transistors are controlled by a voltage on the reference power line; and N semiconductor units, coupled between the reference ground and the N pads respectively, or coupled between the reference power line and the N pads respectively, N is a positive integer;
wherein the semiconductor units are respectively N second transistors, and the second transistors are coupled between the N pads respectively and the reference power line, the second transistors are controlled by the reference ground;
wherein a type of the first transistors and a type of the second transistor are the same,
wherein the first transistors and the second transistors are PNP bipolar transistors.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transient voltage suppressor according to claim 1, further comprising:
a power clamp circuit, coupled between the reference power line and the reference ground,
wherein, the power clamp circuit drains a current from the reference power line to the reference ground when the transient voltage suppressor is operated in an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The transient voltage suppressor according to claim 2, wherein the power clamp circuit comprises:
a clamp transistor, has a first end, a second end and a control end, the first end of the clamp transistor is coupled to the control end of the clamp transistor and the reference power line, the second end of the clamp transistor is coupled to the reference ground.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The transient voltage suppressor according to claim 3, wherein the clamp transistor is a NPN bipolar transistor, the first end of the clamp transistor is an emitter of the clamp transistor, the second end of the clamp transistor is a collector of the clamp transistor, and the control end of the clamp transistor is a base of the clamp transistor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The transient voltage suppressor according to claim 3, wherein the power clamp circuit comprises:
a clamp transistor, has a first end, a second end and a control end, the first end of the clamp transistor is coupled to the control end of the clamp transistor and the reference ground, the second end of the clamp transistor is coupled to the reference power line.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The transient voltage suppressor according to claim 5, wherein the clamp transistor is a PNP bipolar transistor, the first end of the clamp transistor is an emitter of the clamp transistor, the second end of the clamp transistor is a collector of the clamp transistor, and the control end of the clamp transistor is a base of the clamp transistor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The transient voltage suppressor according to claim 6, wherein the power clamp circuit further comprises:
an extra clamp transistor, coupled between the base and the collector of the clamp transistor, the extra clamp transistor has a first end, a second end and a control end, the first end of the extra clamp transistor is coupled to the control end of the clamp transistor, the control end and the second end of the extra clamp transistor are coupled to the reference ground.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The transient voltage suppressor according to claim 7, wherein the extra clamp transistor is a NPN bipolar transistor, the first end of the clamp transistor is a collector of the extra clamp transistor, the second end of the clamp transistor is an emitter of the extra clamp transistor, and the control end of the extra clamp transistor is a base of the extra clamp transistor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The transient voltage suppressor according to claim 7, wherein the power clamp circuit further comprises:
at least one clamp diode, an anode of the clamp diode is coupled to the control end of the clamp transistor, and a cathode of the clamp diode is coupled to the reference ground.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The transient voltage suppressor according to claim 1, wherein the pads comprise at least one input output pad and a plurality of power pads.