Claims
- 1. A thyristor structure, comprising:
a first terminal formed as a first region having a first conductivity type; a second region of a second conductivity type adjoining said first region; a third region of the first conductivity type adjoining said second region and having a common surface with said second region; a second terminal functioning as a fourth region, formed of the second conductivity type, and adjoining said third region; auxiliary electrodes disposed on said common surface and each adjoining one of said second and third regions; and a control terminal for controlling the thryistor structure by an applied current embodied in one of said second region and said third region.
- 2. The thyristor structure according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary electrodes are each formed from a conductive region made of polysilicon and an auxiliary oxide insulating said conductive region from said common surface.
- 3. An overvoltage protection configuration, comprising:
a thyristor structure containing:
a first terminal formed as a first region having a first conductivity type; a second region of a second conductivity type adjoining said first region; a third region of the first conductivity type adjoining said second region and having a common surface with said second region; a second terminal functioning as a fourth region, formed of the second conductivity type, a component to be protected disposed in an electrically conductive manner between said first terminal and said second terminal; auxiliary electrodes disposed on said common surface and each adjoining one of said second and third regions; and a control terminal for controlling the thryistor structure by an applied current embodied in one of said second region and said third region; and an overvoltage detector connected to and detecting an overvoltage across the component to be protected.
- 4. The overvoltage protection configuration according to claim 3, wherein said control terminal forms a fifth region and is formed of the first conductivity type, said fifth region having a higher conductivity than said third region.
- 5. The overvoltage protection configuration according to claim 3, wherein a supply voltage of the component to be protected is connected to said first terminal and to said second terminal.
- 6. An overvoltage protection configuration, comprising:
a single semiconductor chip; a thyristor structure integrated in said single semiconductor chip and containing:
a first terminal formed as a first region having a first conductivity type; a second region of a second conductivity type adjoining said first region; a third region of the first conductivity type adjoining said second region and having a common surface with said second region; a second terminal functioning as a fourth region, formed of the second conductivity type, a component to be protected disposed in an electrically conductive manner between said first terminal and said second terminal; auxiliary electrodes disposed on said common surface and each adjoining one of said second and third regions; a control terminal for controlling the thryistor structure by an applied current embodied in one of said second region and said third region; and an overvoltage detector connected to and detecting an overvoltage across the component to be protected.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
101 11 462.1 |
Mar 2001 |
DE |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of copending International Application No. PCT/DE02/00547, filed Feb. 15, 2002, which designated the United States and was not published in English.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/DE02/00547 |
Feb 2002 |
US |
Child |
10657899 |
Sep 2003 |
US |