Patent ID: 7602235

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: an internal current generating section to generate an output current according to an input current flowing at an input node thereof, and to feed the output current to an internal circuit; an external terminal via which an external resistor for setting the internal current is connected to an input-node side of the internal current generating section; a current limiting element that is connected between the input node of the internal current generating section and the external terminal; a first current limiting section to derive the input current when a voltage at a first end of the current limiting element is higher than a first threshold voltage; and a second current limiting section to derive the input current when a terminal voltage at the external terminal is higher than a second threshold voltage, wherein the first current limiting section comprises: a differential amplifier circuit to receive, as differential inputs thereto, the voltage at the first end of the current limiting element and the first threshold voltage; and a first current mirror circuit that, according to an output current of the differential amplifier circuit that flows at an input node of the first current mirror circuit, derives the input current from the first end of the current limiting element.