Novel ESD protection scheme for core devices
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYi-Hsun Wu, Jian-Hsing Lee
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Abstract
A circuit and a method for solving the general problem of protecting core devices in integrated circuits from electrostatic discharge damage is provided. This circuit and a method prevents ESD voltage breakdown of thin oxide field effect transistors which are directly connected to the core Vdd power supply. The embodiments of this invention use inverter buffers using a thick or thin oxide devices at the input to the core circuitry is to be protected. Other embodiments of this invention use pass transistor or transfer gates made with thick or thin oxide devices at the input to the core circuitry is to be protected.
Claims17
An electrostatic discharge circuit for protecting core devices in integrated circuit chips comprising:
- an inverter buffer using a device having an oxide thicker than devices to be protected.
An ESD circuit for protecting core devices in integrated circuit chips comprising:
- a pass or transfer gate using a PMOS device having an oxide thicker than devices to be protected from ESD.
An ESD circuit for protecting core devices in integrated circuit chips comprising:
- a resistor at the input to the core circuitry to be protected from ESD.
A method of protecting core devices in integrated circuits from electrostatic discharge, ESD, comprising the steps of:
- providing an inverter buffer using a device having an oxide thicker than devices to be protected,
A method of protecting core devices in integrated circuits from electrostatic discharge, ESD, comprising the steps of:
- providing a resistor at an input to core circuitry to be protected from ESD.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.