Electrostatic discharge protection with integrated diode
AssigneeNXP B.V.
InventorDa-Wei Lai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus can include a first circuit that is configured to provide electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection against an ESD pulse applied between a first node and a second node. The first circuit includes a series stack of bipolar transistors that are configured to shunt current between the first and second nodes in response to the ESD pulse; and a diode connected in series with the stack of bipolar transistors and configured to lower a snapback holding voltage of the first circuit when shunting current between the first and second nodes.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a first circuit configured to provide electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection against an ESD pulse applied between a first node and a second node, the first circuit including:
- a series stack of bipolar transistors that are configured and arranged between the first and second nodes to shunt current between the first and second nodes in response to the ESD pulse;
- and
- a diode connected in series with the stack of bipolar transistors and between the first and second nodes, and configured to lower a snapback holding voltage of the first circuit when shunting current between the first and second nodes, wherein a combination of a particular bipolar transistor from the series stack of bipolar transistors and the diode, which are respectively connected in series, form a circuit including an embedded silicon controlled rectifier (eSCR) configured and arranged to provide a current path for the ESD pulse between the diode and a particular bipolar transistor from the series stack, therein lowering the snapback holding voltage.
A method for use with an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit, the method comprising:
- receiving an ESD pulse on a first node;
- passing, in response to the ESD pulse and the ESD protection circuit being in an off-state, a trigger current through a trigger path within the ESD protection circuit that includes a series stack of bipolar transistors and a diode that is connected in series with the series stack of bipolar transistors;
- transitioning, in response to the trigger current, the ESD protection circuit to an on-state by enabling an embedded silicon controlled rectifier (eSCR) component that includes a combination of a particular bipolar transistor from the series stack of bipolar transistors and the diode;
- and
- shunting, in response to transitioning to the on-state, current from the ESD pulse through a current path between the particular bipolar transistor from the series stack of bipolar transistors and the diode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.