Area-Efficient High Voltage Bipolar-Based ESD Protection Targeting Narrow Design Windows

A method comprising:

• providing an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structure in an integrated circuit formed from a semiconductor body having a substrate region of a first conductivity type wherein the ESD protection structure comprises:
• (a) a first semiconductor region of the first conductivity type in which is formed a first contact region of the first conductivity type and a second contact region of a second, opposite conductivity type, where the first and second contact regions are connected to a first grounded terminal and where the first semiconductor region is sized to contain the first and second contact regions;
• (b) a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type in which is formed a third contact region of a first conductivity type without including any contact region of the second conductivity type, where the third contact region is connected to a second terminal and where the second semiconductor region is sized to contain the third contact region but not any additional contact region;
• (c) an electrically floating third semiconductor region of the second conductivity type continuous with the first and second semiconductor regions so as to surround and separate the first and second semiconductor regions;
• and
• applying a positive voltage between the second terminal and the first grounded terminal of the integrated circuit.