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:
Nov. 09, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 04, 2000
Antonino Torres, Palermo, IT;
Sergio Tommaso Spampinato, Catania, IT;
STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza, IT;
Abstract
An integrated circuit including a vertical power component having a terminal formed by a chip substrate of a first conductivity type, a control circuit thereof, the control circuit isolated from the substrate by an isolation region of a second conductivity type, and a protection structure against polarity inversion of a substrate potential. The protection structure includes a first bipolar transistor with an emitter connected to said isolation region and a collector connected to a reference potential input of the integrated circuit, a bias circuit for biasing the first bipolar transistor in a reverse saturated mode when the substrate potential is higher than the reference potential, and a second bipolar transistor with an emitter connected to the substrate and a base coupled to the isolation region for coupling the isolation region to the substrate through a high-impedance when the substrate potential is lower than the reference potential.