Patent ID: 9325306
Filing Date: 2016-04-26
CPC Classification: H03K

Claim Text:
1. A high-voltage switch comprising: a switching device, the switching device being a normally-off semiconductor device having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal; a chain of transistors, the transistors being normally-on semiconductor devices each having a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal, where transistors are connected in series drain-to-source, and where the source of the first transistor in the chain is connected to the drain of the switching device; for each transistor in the chain from the second transistor in the chain to the penultimate transistor in the chain, a clamping device associated with the transistor, where an anode of the clamping device is connected to the source of the transistor, and a cathode of the clamping device is connected to the gate of the next transistor in the chain; an additional clamping device associated with the second transistor in the chain, where an anode of the additional clamping device is connected to the source of the switching device, and a cathode of the additional clamping device is connected to the gate of the second transistor; and for each transistor in the chain from the second transistor in the chain to the last transistor in the chain, a load circuit comprising a resistor, the load circuit being connected between the drain of the transistor and the gate of the transistor, where the gate of the first transistor in the chain is connected to the source of the switching device.