Claims
- 1. The combination comprising:
- an input point for the application thereto of an input signal;
- an output point for producing thereat an output signal responsive to said input signal;
- first and second power terminals for the application therebetween of an operating potential;
- first and second transistors, each transistor having a base, an emitter and a collector;
- means connected between said input point and the base of said first transistor for coupling the input signal to the base of said first transistor;
- means connecting the collector of said first transistor to said first power terminal;
- means connecting the base of said second transistor to the emitter of said first transistor, the collector of said second transistor to said output point, and the emitter of said second transistor to said second power terminal;
- a resistor and a Schottky barrier diode; said diode characterized in that its forward drop is substantially greater than zero volts but less than the base-to-emitter forward drop (V.sub.BE) of said second transistor and in that said diode has a larger rectifying area than the area of the base-to-emitter junction of said second transistor; and
- negligible impedance means connecting said resistor and said diode in series between the base and emitter of said second transistor; said Schottky barrier diode being poled to conduct current in the same forward direction as the base-to-emitter junction of said second transistor for enabling current flow through the diode prior to the flow of current through the base-to-emitter junction of the second transistor in response to a forward biasing signal applied to the base of said second transistor.
- 2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 further including a third transistor connected at its base to the collector of said first transistor; and
- means connecting its collector to said first power terminal, and its emitter to said output point.
- 3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein the forward drop (V.sub.FS) of said Schottky barrier diode is less than the V.sub.BE of said second transistor for the same value of current therethrough.
- 4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said first, second and third transistors are Schottky clamped transistors.
- 5. The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said first transistor is turned-on when the potential at its base is equal to V.sub.BE plus V.sub.FS, and wherein said second transistor is turned on when the potential at the base of said first transistor is equal to 2V.sub.BE.
STATEMENT
The invention herein described was made in the course of, or under, a contract (or subcontract thereunder, or grant) with the Department of the Navy.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3751680 |
Hodges |
Aug 1973 |
|
3836789 |
Struk et al. |
Sep 1974 |
|
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
IBM Tech. Dsclre. Blltn., True Complement Generator Circuit with Schottky Barrier Diodes, by S. J. Park, vol. 16, No. 4, 9/73, p. 1280. |
Schottky Diode has 0.5-volt drop at 50 amps, Electronics, 1/5/70, pp. 180-182. |