Threshold voltage adjustment circuit and semiconductor integrated circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026081419-A1
Application number	US-202519067185-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 28, 2025
Priority date	Sep 18, 2024
Publication date	Mar 19, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A threshold voltage adjustment circuit of an embodiment includes a reference current circuit and a trans-impedance circuit. The reference current circuit is formed on a substrate and outputs a reference current. The trans-impedance circuit has a plurality of resistors on the substrate, and outputs a threshold voltage that is expressed as a function of a reference current and a combined resistance of the plurality of resistors and an external resistor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A threshold voltage adjustment circuit comprising:
a reference current circuit formed on a substrate and configured to output a reference current; and a trans-impedance circuit having a plurality of resistors on the substrate and configured to output a threshold voltage expressed as a function of the reference current and a combined resistance of the plurality of resistors and an external resistor.

2 . The threshold voltage adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the trans-impedance circuit includes:
a first current mirror circuit configured to receive the reference current as an input and to output a current that is a multiple of the reference current, a first resistor having one end electrically connected to an output terminal of the first current mirror circuit and the other end electrically connected to one end of the external resistor via a resistor connection terminal; a second resistor having one end electrically connected to the other end of the first resistor and the other end electrically connected to the other end of the external resistor via a ground terminal; and a threshold voltage output terminal electrically connected to one end of the first resistor and configured to output the threshold voltage.

3 . The threshold voltage adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the reference current circuit includes a reference voltage circuit configured to output the reference voltage, and a first voltage controlled current source configured to output a first current proportional to the reference voltage as the reference current.

4 . The threshold voltage adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the reference current circuit includes:
a reference voltage circuit configured to output the reference voltage, a first voltage controlled current source configured to output a first current proportional to the reference voltage; a PTAT current source configured to output a second current proportional to absolute temperature; and a second current mirror circuit configured to receive the second current as an input and to output a third current which is a current that is a multiple of the second current, the reference current circuit outputs a current expressed by a difference between the first current and the third current as the reference current, and the first current is greater than the third current.

5 . The threshold voltage adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the reference current circuit includes:
a reference voltage circuit configured to output the reference voltage, a first voltage controlled current source configured to output a first current proportional to the reference voltage; and a PTAT current source configured to output a second current proportional to absolute temperature, and the reference current circuit outputs a current expressed by a sum of the first current and the second current as the reference current.

6 . The threshold voltage adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the reference current circuit includes:
a reference voltage circuit configured to output the reference voltage; and a first voltage controlled current source configured to output a first current proportional to the reference voltage as the reference current, and the trans-impedance circuit includes: a first resistor having one end electrically connected to one end of the external resistor via a power supply terminal and the other end electrically connected to the other end of the external resistor via a resistor connection terminal; a second resistor having one end electrically connected to the other end of the first resistor and the other end electrically connected to an output terminal of the first voltage controlled current source; a second voltage controlled current source configured to output a current proportional to a voltage of the resistor connection terminal; a third resistor having one end electrically connected to an output terminal of the second voltage controlled current source and the other end electrically connected to a ground terminal; and a threshold voltage output terminal electrically connected to one end of the third resistor and configured to output the threshold voltage.

7 . A semiconductor integrated circuit which drives a gate of a power element, comprising:
an input terminal to which a timing signal is input; an output terminal configured to output a gate drive signal that drives the gate; an overcurrent detection terminal configured to output a detection current that detects an overcurrent of the power element; a resistor connection terminal configured to connect an external resistor; a ground terminal to which a ground potential is applied; a power supply terminal to which a power supply potential that is a positive potential with respect to the ground potential is applied; an input circuit to which the timing signal is input via the input terminal; a first output circuit configured to generate the gate drive signal in synchronization with the timing signal input via the input circuit and to output the gate drive signal via the output terminal; an overcurrent detection circuit configured to detect a rise of the timing signal input via the input circuit and then to output the detection current via the overcurrent detection terminal; the threshold voltage adjustment circuit according to claim 1 ; and a comparator configured to compare the threshold voltage output from the threshold voltage adjustment circuit with a detection terminal voltage that is a voltage of the overcurrent detection terminal and to output a signal indicating a comparison result to the overcurrent detection circuit, wherein the comparator outputs a signal having a first level when the detection terminal voltage is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, and outputs a signal having a second level when the detection terminal voltage exceeds the threshold voltage, and the overcurrent detection circuit controls the first output circuit so that the gate drive signal having a potential at which the power element is in an OFF state is output after the output signal of the comparator changes from the first level to the second level.

8 . The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 7 , wherein the first output circuit outputs the gate drive signal that changes between the ground potential and the power supply potential in synchronization with the timing signal, and
the overcurrent detection circuit controls the first output circuit so that the gate drive signal having the ground potential is output after the output signal of the comparator changes from the first level to the second level.

9 . The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 7 , further comprising a negative power supply terminal to which a negative power supply potential that is a negative potential with respect to the ground potential is applied,
wherein the first output circuit outputs the gate drive signal that changes between the negative power supply potential and the power supply potential in synchronization with the timing signal, and the overcurrent detection circuit controls the first output circuit so that the gate drive signal having the negative power supply potential is output after the output signal of the comparator changes from the first level to the second level.

10 . The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an abnormality notification terminal configured to output an abnormality notification signal that notifies occurrence of an abnormality; and a second output circuit configured to generate the abnormality notification signal on the basis of a control sig

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corp

Inventors

• Uo Toyoaki

Classifications

• H02H1/0007

  concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445) · CPC title

• H02H7/008

  for protective arrangements according to this subclass (H02H9/042, H02H9/043 take precedence; protection of spark-gaps H02H7/24) · CPC title

• H10D89/60

  Integrated devices comprising arrangements for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. protection circuits against electrostatic discharge [ESD] · CPC title

• H02H9/02

  responsive to excess current {(current limitation for voltage regulators G05F1/573; disconnection after limiting H02H3/025)} · CPC title

• H02H9/045 Primary

  adapted to a particular application and not provided for elsewhere · CPC title