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:
Sep. 23, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 06, 2001
Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, ID (US);
Abstract
An output driver circuit for a semiconductor device. In one embodiment, the output driver is coupled to an output terminal of the semiconductor device and consists of an N-channel pull-down transistor and a P-channel pull-up transistor formed in an N-well in a P-type substrate. A tie-down region formed in the N-well is selectively coupled to a supply potential by means of a decoupling transistor, and during normal operation of the driver maintains the supply voltage bias of the N-well. An overdrive detection circuit is coupled to the output terminal. Upon detection of an overdrive condition on the output terminal, such as a voltage exceeding a predetermined maximum, or excessive current injected into the output terminal (or both), the overdrive detection circuit deasserts a control signal applied to the gate of the decoupling transistor, thereby decoupling the N-well from the supply potential. In one embodiment, the decoupling transistor is not coupled to the output terminal.