Excessive reverse current potentially damages this device. Reverse current flows through the intrinsic body diode of the pass transistor instead of the normal conducting channel. At high magnitudes, this current flow degrades the long-term reliability of the device.

Conditions where reverse current occurs are outlined in this section, all of which potentially exceed the absolute maximum rating of V_OUT ≤ V_IN + 0.3V.

• If the device has a large C_OUT and the input supply collapses with little or no load current
• The output is biased when the input supply is not established
• The output is biased above the input supply

If reverse current flow is expected in the application, use external protection to protect the device. Reverse current is not limited in the device, so external limiting is required if extended reverse voltage operation is anticipated.

Figure 7-1 shows one approach for protecting the device.

Figure 7-1 Example Circuit for Reverse Current Protection Using a Schottky Diode