The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 25, 1987
Filed:
Jul. 29, 1985
Applicant:
Inventors:
John E Hanna, Mesa, AZ (US);
Ira Miller, Tempe, AZ (US);
Assignee:
Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L / ; H01L / ; H03K / ; H03K / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
357 36 ; 357 13 ; 357 34 ; 357 35 ; 357 86 ; 3072 / ; 307559 ; 307561 ; 307565 ;
Abstract
A low voltage clamp circuit comprises a transistor and semiconductor junction impedance circuitry for establishing an impedance such that the magnitude of a voltage applied across the emitter and collector of the transistor is clamped at a value that is less than the reverse breakdown voltage of the collector-to-emitter of the transistor if its base is shorted to the collector. The clamp circuit is suited to be manufactured in monolithic integrated circuit form and can be used to protect integrated bipolar transistors from having the reverse breakdown voltage of their emitter-base junctions exceeded.