Programmable protection circuit and its monolithic manufacturing

Abstract

A programmable protection circuit comprises three identical units connected between a common point (C) and a first conductor (A), a second conductor (B) and ground (M). Each unit comprises the anti-parallel arrangement of a thyristor (T) and a diode (D), a bipolar transistor (TR) being connected between the gate and anode of the thyristor, the anodes of the thyristors being connected to the common point and the base terminal of each unit constituting a programmation terminal and being connected to a device defining a voltage threshold. Each device defining a voltage threshold is a zener diode (Z1, Z2, Z3) connected between each base terminal and the common point.

We claim: 
     
       1. A programmable protection circuit for signal lines comprising: a) a monolithic integrated circuit having three identical units connected between a common point and a first conductor of the signal lines, a second conductor of the signal lines and ground, each unit comprising: i) an anti-parallel association of a thyristor and a diode, said thyristor having an anode and a gate, and said anode being connected to the common point, and   ii) a transistor connected between said anode and said gate; and     b) means, external to said monolithic integrated circuit and coupled to each base terminal of said transistor of each unit, for defining a voltage threshold of each unit of said programmable protection circuit.   
     
     
       2. A programmable protection circuit according to claim 4, wherein said voltage threshold defining means comprises a zener diode connected between each base terminal of each unit and said common point so that said three identical units have the same voltage threshold. 
     
     
       3. The programmable protection circuit of claim 1, wherein said voltage threshold defining means comprises a plurality of zener diodes and each one of said plurality of zener diodes is connected between each base terminal of each unit and the common point so that said three identical units have the same or different voltage thresholds. 
     
     
       4. The programmable protection circuit of claim 1, wherein said voltage threshold defining means comprises a plurality of zener diodes, one of said plurality of zener diodes being connected between base terminals of two of said three identical units and the common point, and another one of said plurality of zener diodes being connected between the base terminal of a remaining unit of said three identical units and the common point, whereby said two of said three identical units have a first voltage threshold and said remaining identical unit has a second voltage threshold. 
     
     
       5. The programmable protection circuit of claim 1, wherein said monolithic integrated circuit is formed in a semiconductor substrate having a common metallization layer formed on a rear surface of said semiconductor substrate to define the common point, and each thyristor of said three identical units comprises first, second, third and fourth semiconductor regions formed in said semiconductor substrate, every odd semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, every even semiconductor region of a second conductivity type and said fourth semiconductor region being in contact with said common metallization layer. 
     
     
       6. The programmable protection circuit of claim 5, wherein each diode of said three identical units comprises at least two semiconductor regions of opposite conductivity types formed in said semiconductor substrate, one of said at least two semiconductor regions being in contact with said common metallization layer. 
     
     
       7. The programmable protection circuit of claim 6, wherein each transistor of said three identical units comprises first, second, third and fourth semiconductor regions formed in said substrate, said first, third and fourth semiconductor regions of a first conductivity type, said second semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type and said fourth semiconductor region being in contact with said common metallization layer. 
     
     
       8. The programmable protection circuit of claim 7, wherein a first metallization layer is formed on a top surface of said semiconductor substrate and in contact with said second semiconductor region of said transistor to connect said base terminal of each transistor of said three identical units to said voltage threshold defining means external to said monolithic integrated circuit. 
     
     
       9. The programmable protection circuit of claim 8, wherein a second metallization layer is formed on the top surface of said semiconductor substrate to connect said first semiconductor region of said transistor to said second semiconductor region of said thyristor. 
     
     
       10. The programmable protection circuit of claim 9, wherein a third metallization layer is formed on the top surface to connect said first semiconductor region of said thyristor to another one of said at least two semiconductor regions of said diode. 
     
     
       11. The programmable protection circuit of claim 7, wherein said first conductivity type is N-type, and said second conductivity is P-type. 
     
     
       12. The programmable protection circuit of claim 1, wherein said monolithic integrated circuit is made from an N-type substrate, each thyristor comprising an N-type cathode region, a first P-type well in the cathode region, said N-type substrate and a P-type region in contact with a common metallization formed on a rear surface of said N-type substrate,   each diode comprising said first P-type well, said N-type substrate and an N-type region in contact with said common metallization,   each transistor comprising a second P-type well with an N-type emitter region formed therein, said substrate and a second N-type region in contact with said common metallization,   a first metallization being fixed to said second P-type well of said transistor and corresponding to said base terminal for connection to said voltage threshold defining means,   a second metallization connecting said N-type emitter region of said transistor to said first P-type well constituting a gate region of said thyristor, and   a third metallization connecting sad N-type cathode region of said thyristor to said first P-type well constituting an anode of said diode. .Iadd.   
     
     
       13.  A programmable line protection component, comprising: an anti-parallel association of a thyristor and a diode, said thyristor having an anode, a cathode, and a gate, and   a transistor having first and second current-carrying terminals thereof connected between said anode and said gate, and also having a control terminal,   said thyristor, diode, and transistor all being integrated together in a common solid-state structure; and   a voltage thresholding component connected between said control terminal of said transistor and said anode of said thyristor. .Iaddend..Iadd.14. The component of claim 13, wherein said cathode of said thyristor is directly connected to the line to be protected. .Iaddend..Iadd.15. The component of claim 13, wherein said voltage thresholding component is external to said solid-state structure. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. The component of claim 13, wherein said voltage thresholding component is a diode with a fixed   
     
     
        breakdown voltage. .Iaddend..Iadd.17.  A programmable line protection circuit, comprising: a plurality of protection components, each comprising: an anti-parallel association of a thyristor and a diode, said thyristor having an anode, a cathode, and a gate, and   a transistor having first and second current-carrying terminals thereof connected between said anode and said gate, and also having a control terminal,   said thyristor, diode, and transistor all being integrated together in a common solid-state structure; and   a voltage thresholding component connected between said control terminal of said transistor and said anode of said thyristor;     said protection components being connected back-to-back between two separate signal lines. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. The circuit of claim 17, wherein each said voltage thresholding component is a diode with a fixed breakdown voltage. .Iaddend..Iadd.19. The circuit of claim 17, wherein said anodes of said thyristors, and the cathodes of said diodes, are all connected together at a common point. .Iaddend..Iadd.20. The circuit of claim 17, wherein said voltage thresholding components have equal breakdown voltages. .Iaddend..Iadd.21. The circuit of claim 17, wherein said voltage thresholding components have unequal breakdown voltages. .Iaddend..Iadd.22. The circuit of claim 17, wherein said protection components all share a common voltage thresholding component.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.23.  The circuit of claim 17, wherein each said voltage thresholding component is external to said solid-state structure. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. A method for protecting against overvoltages on an incoming pair of signal lines, comprising the steps of: providing back-to-back diodes between said signal lines, each said diode having an anode and a cathode;   providing back-to-back thyristors between said signal lines, each said thyristor having a gate, an anode connected to said cathode of a respective one of said diodes, and a cathode connected to said anode of a respective one of said diodes; and   automatically activating switching elements which are connected to the gates of said thyristors, to thereby activate said thyristors, whenever threshold-voltage-setting components connected to said switching elements show that the voltage drop across one of said thyristors exceeds a threshold amount. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. The method of claim 24, wherein each said threshold-voltage-setting component is a diode with a fixed breakdown voltage. .Iaddend..Iadd.26. The method of claim 24, wherein said cathodes of said diodes, and said anodes of said thyristors, are all connected together to a common node. .Iaddend..Iadd.27. The method of claim 24, wherein said threshold-voltage-setting components have equal breakdown voltages. .Iaddend..Iadd.28. The method of claim 24, wherein said threshold-voltage-setting components have unequal breakdown voltages.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.29.  The method of claim 24, wherein said switching elements share a common threshold-voltage-setting component. .Iaddend..Iadd.30. The method of claim 24, wherein said thyristors, diodes, and switching elements are all integrated together in a common solid-state structure. .Iaddend..Iadd.31. The method of claim 24, wherein said thyristors, diodes, and switching elements are all integrated together in a common solid-state structure; and each said threshold-voltage-setting component is external to said solid-state structure. .Iaddend.