Integrated circuit esd protection using substrate in esd current path
AssigneeFoveon, Inc.
InventorsRandy Jacob Caplan, Andrew Cole
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for conducting ESD current through an integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor substrate includes sensing an ESD potential between a first I/O pad and a second I/O pad of the integrated circuit, providing a current path for ESD current from the first I/O pad of the integrated circuit to a portion of a first metal line in the integrated circuit, providing a current path for ESD current from the portion of the first metal line to the substrate, and providing a current path for ESD current from the substrate to the second I/O pad of the integrated circuit.
Claims16
A method for conducting ESD discharge current through an integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- providing a first path for ESD current from a first I/O pad of the integrated circuit to a portion of a first metal line in the integrated circuit;
- providing a second path from the portion of the first metal line to the substrate;
- and
- providing a third path for ESD current from the substrate to a second I/O pad of the integrated circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.