Devices and methods related to electrostatic discharge protection benign to radio-frequency operation
AssigneeSkyworks Solutions, Inc.
InventorsKim Rene Smith, Paul T. DiCarlo, Michael David Hill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are systems, devices and methods for providing electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for integrated circuits. In some implementations, first and second conductors with ohmic contacts on an intrinsic semiconductor region can function similar to an x-i-y type diode, where each of x and y can be n-type or p-type. Such a diode can be configured to turn on under selected conditions such as an ESD event. Such a structure can be configured so as to provide an effective ESD protection while providing little or substantially nil effect on radio-frequency (RF) operating properties of a device.
Claims21
(canceled)
A wireless device comprising:
- an antenna;
- a receiver circuit coupled to the antenna and configured to process a radio-frequency (RF) signal;
- and
- a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) configured to facilitate the processing of the RF signal, the MMIC including a semiconductor substrate with an intrinsic region and an RF circuit disposed on the semiconductor substrate, the MMIC further including a first conductor disposed relative to the intrinsic region and electrically connected to the RF circuit, the MMIC further including a second conductor disposed relative to the intrinsic region, the first and second conductors configured so that a potential difference greater than a selected value between the first and second conductors results in a conduction path through the intrinsic region between the first and second conductors.
A wireless device comprising:
- an antenna;
- a receiver circuit coupled to the antenna and configured to process a radio-frequency (RF) signal;
- and
- a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) configured to facilitate the processing of the RF signal, the MMIC including a semiconductor substrate with an intrinsic region and an RF circuit disposed on the semiconductor substrate, the MMIC further including a first metal conductor disposed relative to the intrinsic region and electrically connected to the RF circuit, the MMIC further including a second metal conductor disposed relative to the intrinsic region, the first and second metal conductors configured so that a potential difference greater than a selected value between the first and second conductors results in a conduction path including a metal-semiconductor-metal junction through the intrinsic region between the first and second conductors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.