Patent ID: 8299841

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: an output transistor that is connected between a power supply terminal and an output terminal and outputs a current to a load connected to the output terminal; a discharge circuit that includes: a first transistor connected between a gate of the output transistor and the output terminal; and a capacitor connected between a gate of the first transistor and an external abnormality detection circuit, and discharges a gate voltage of the output transistor to the output terminal by turning on the first transistor with an electric charge of the capacitor, based on an abnormality detection signal from the abnormality detection circuit; and a control circuit that includes: a charge path for charging the capacitor when a system turns on; a first discharge path for discharging an electric charge of the charged capacitor when the system turns off; and a second discharge path for discharging the electric charge of the capacitor for a time period longer than a time period for discharging the gate voltage of the output transistor by the discharge circuit, upon detection of an abnormality in the system.