Abstract:
Power semiconductor device structure formed in a chip (100) of semiconductor material consisting of an N-type substrate (103) and an N-type epitaxial layer (118). The structure comprises a P-type insulation region (106, 121) which forms a pocket (124) in which a control circuitry is formed, and a plurality of fully insulated PNP power transistors. Each PNP power transistor comprises a P-type collector region (109, 127) consisting of an buried region (109) between the substrate (103) and the epitaxial layer (118) and a contact region (127); the P region (109, 127) delimits a base N region (130) within which an emitter P region (148) is formed.
Abstract:
The principle on which the start up circuit of this invention operates is that of causing the MOS transistor (M2) to be turned on by sensing local electrical quantities thereof, specifically the potential at the drain terminal (D) of the MOS transistor (M2). The basic idea is to inject a small current into the control terminal (G) when the potential at the drain terminal (D) is high. For the purpose, an electric network (SN) is arranged to couple these two terminals together.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for detecting an open load by means of a driver having at least one main power transistor (M10) connected to the load (L) and one auxiliary transistor (M11) connected in parallel with the main transistor (M10) between a first power supply voltage reference (Vs) and a second voltage reference (GND), the method providing a comparison between a first voltage (V IN1 ) present on a terminal (S10) connected to the load of the main transistor (M10) and a second voltage (V IN2 ) present on a terminal (S11) of the auxiliary transistor (M11). The invention also relates to a circuit for detecting an open load (L), in which the said method is implemented.
Abstract:
The analog processor of this invention can carry out processings independently of the operating temperature and process parameters, in a reliable manner and at high performance levels using fairly simple circuitry. To achieve this independence, the processor is basically implemented and integrated with MOS transistors, has both voltage inputs (AI) and outputs (OUT), and includes a biasing section (BIAS) which supplies voltage bias signals (VG), of which at least one is substantially the sum of a voltage proportional to the threshold voltage of the MOS transistors and a reference voltage. This reference voltage can be extracted from a reference potential which is stable to temperature and process parameters, for example that produced by a bandgap type of generator. A major feature of the processor according to the invention is the linearity of its input-output characteristic relative to that reference voltage. It follows that it may be advantageous to extract that reference voltage by division from a signal indicating the width of the input signal variation range, thereby to achieve compensation for or independence of variations of this range.