Abstract: A circuit arrangement 10 for driving an MOS field-effect transistor QO allocated to the supply circuit KO of an electrical load R.sub.L contains a charging circuit K1 and a discharging circuit K2, which can be alternatively connected to the MOS field-effect transistor QO. A sensing circuit K3 supplies the measuring signal S.sub.M typical of gate-source voltage U.sub.GS of the MOS field-effect transistor QO, via which the internal resistance of the charging or discharging circuit K1, K2 and/or a current I.sub.a impressed upon these circuits K1, K2, in the sense of a positive feedback, is controlled, in such a way that the resulting time constant, according to which the input capacitance of the MOS field-effect, transistor QO is charged or discharged, becomes smaller during the transition of the MOS field-effect transistor QO from the off state to the conductive state and larger during the transition from the conductive to the off-state.

Abstract: An integrated power device comprises a power transistor (26) and a plurality of sense transistors (38), (40), (42), (44), and (46). Sense transistors (38), (40), (42), and (44) are constructed around the periphery of the active area occupied by power transistor (26). Sense transistor (46) is located within the interior of the active area occupied by power transistor (26) and contact is made to the necessary source region (64) of transistor (46) using a second level of metal interconnect to form a source contact (74).