Semiconductor switch circuit

Abstract

A semiconductor switch circuit comprises a PNPN switch with a PNPN semiconductor four-layered structure equivalently including first and second transistors and a gate terminal, a load current dividing circuit including at least one transistor, a variable impedance bypass circuit including at least one transistor, and a capacitive element. The base and the collector of the transistor included in the load current dividing circuit are connected to the cathode and the anode of the PNPN switch, respectively. The collector and the emitter of the transistor included in the variable impedance bypass circuit are connected to the P-type base of the second transistor of the PNPN switch and to the emitter of the transistor of the load-current-dividing circuit, respectively. The base of the transistor of the variable impedance bypass circuit is connected to the anode of the PNPN switch through the capacitive element and is controlled for gate turn-off operation. The PNPN switch having self-holding ability is combined with a transistor which does not have self-holding ability but current-amplifying ability to divide the load current into a current flowing through the PNPN switch and a collector current of the transistor. No large load current is imposed on the PNPN switch but most of the load current is passed through the transistors thereby to facilitate gate turn-off operation. Further, the PNPN switch is protected against the rate effect by use of the variable impedance bypass circuit. Thus both large and small load currents can be controlled with a small self-holding current.