An emitter-coupled logic circuit device

Claim 1

An emitter-coupled logic circuit device comprising first (L l ) and second (L 2 ) voltage supply lines connected to ground and an external voltage source (V EE ), respectively, a voltage regulator (6) connected between the first (L l ) and second (L 2 ) voltage supply lines and having an output terminal connected to a third voltage supply line (L 3 ) to provide the third voltage supply line (L 3 ) with a potential (Vm) between that of the ground and that of the voltage source (V EE ), an output buffer circuit (3) connected between the first (L l ) and the third (L 3 ) voltage supply lines, an inner logic gate circuit (2) connected between the third (L 3 ) and the second (L 2 ) voltage supply lines, and input (4.) and output (5) level converter circuits connected, respectively, between an input terminal of the emitter-coupled logic circuit device and the inner logic gate circuit (2) and between the inner logic gate circuit (2) and the output buffer circuit (3) so that the current flowing from the first voltage supply line (L 1 ) to the third voltage supply line (L 3 ) through the output buffer circuit (3) also flows from the third voltage supply line (L 3 ) to the second voltage supply line (L 2 ) through the inner logic gate circuit (2). 2. An emitter-coupled logic circuit device according to claim 1, which also includes an input buffer circuit (1) connected between the first (L1) and the third (L 3 ) voltage supply lines. 3. An emitter-coupled logic circuit device according to claim 1 or 2, in which the voltage regulator (6) has a current path connected between the first (L l ) and the third (L 3 ) voltage lines and the current flowing through the current path also flows through the inner logic gate circuit (2) from the third voltage supply line (L 3 ) to the second voltage supply line (L 2 ).