Shunt protection circuit and method therefor

1. A shunt protection circuit method comprising:

coupling a first semiconductor device having a first maximum rated power dissipation in parallel with a second semiconductor device having a second maximum rated power dissipation wherein the first maximum rated power dissipation of the first semiconductor device is less than the second maximum rated power dissipation and wherein the first maximum rated power dissipation is less than an amount of power that will be dissipated within the first semiconductor device upon the second semiconductor device failing in an open condition wherein the amount of power causes the first semiconductor device to fail in a shorted condition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein coupling the first semiconductor device includes coupling the first semiconductor device in parallel with an LED.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein coupling the first semiconductor device includes coupling a zener diode in parallel with the second semiconductor device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein coupling the zener diode in parallel with the second semiconductor device includes coupling ft the zener diode having the first maximum rated power dissipation that is less than approximately one tenth of the second maximum power dissipation.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein coupling the zener diode in parallel with the second semiconductor device includes coupling the zener diode having the first maximum rated power dissipation that is less than approximately one fourth of the second maximum power dissipation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein coupling the first semiconductor device includes coupling a zener diode in parallel with an LED.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein coupling the zener diode in parallel with the second semiconductor device includes coupling the zener diode having the first maximum rated power dissipation that is less than the second maximum rated power dissipation of the LED.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein coupling the first semiconductor device includes coupling the first semiconductor device that is packaged in one of an SOT-23 or SOD-23 type of package.

9. A method of forming a protection circuit comprising:

forming the protection circuit having first and second connection terminals suitable for coupling across a second circuit external to the protection circuit; and

configuring the protection circuit to have a first power dissipation responsively to the second circuit operating in a normal mode, a second power dissipation for a first time period after the second circuit fails in an open condition, and a third power dissipation after the first time period is complete wherein the third power dissipation is less than the second power dissipation and is also less than a power dissipation of the second circuit while the second circuit is operating in the normal mode.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein configuring the protection circuit to have the first power dissipation includes forming an MOS gated SCR having an MOS transistor with no greater than twenty-five percent of an area of source regions of the MOS transistor occupied by contacts to a body region of the MOS transistor.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein forming the MOS gated SCR having the MOS transistor includes forming a first doped region of a first conductivity type on a semiconductor substrate of a second conductivity type, forming a second doped region of the second conductivity type within the first doped region as the body region, forming a third doped region of the first conductivity type within the second doped region, and forming a third doped region extending through the second doped region as a contact to the body region.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein configuring the protection circuit to have the first power dissipation includes providing a semiconductor device having a maximum rated power dissipation that is less than an amount of power that must dissipated by the protection circuit for the first time period after the second circuit fails in the open condition.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein providing the semiconductor device having the maximum rated power dissipation that is less than the amount of power that must dissipated for the first time period includes providing the semiconductor device that fails in a shorted condition as a result of dissipating the amount of power.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein providing the semiconductor device having the maximum rated power dissipation that is less than the amount of power that must dissipated for the first time period includes providing the semiconductor device that has a maximum rated power dissipation that is less than approximately one fourth of the second power dissipation.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein configuring the protection circuit having first and second connection terminals suitable for coupling across a second circuit includes configuring the protection circuit having first and second connection terminals suitable for coupling across an LED.

16. A method of protecting an LED comprising:

providing an LED having a first maximum rated power dissipation; and

coupling an MOS gated SCR in parallel with the LED.

17. A method of protecting an LED comprising:

providing an LED having a first maximum rated power dissipation; and

coupling a semiconductor device in parallel with the LED wherein the semiconductor device has a second maximum rated power dissipation that is less than the first maximum rated power dissipation.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein coupling the semiconductor device in parallel with the LED includes coupling a semiconductor die that is assembled into a semiconductor package wherein the semiconductor device has a maximum rated power dissipation that is less than an amount of power that will be dissipated within the LED during normal operation of the LED.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein coupling the semiconductor device in parallel with the LED includes coupling one of a diode, a zener diode, a MOSORB, or a TVS.