Electrostatic discharge protection for a balun
AssigneeSilicon Laboratories Inc.
InventorsTimothy J. Dupuis, Ravi K. Kummaraguntla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A die is mounted in an integrated circuit package. The die includes a balun circuit and an electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit coupled to a ground of the integrated circuit die. The package has a first output pin coupled to a first terminal of the balun and has a second output pin coupled to a second terminal of the balun through first and second bond wires. The second output pin is connected to board ground. A third bond wire is disposed between the second package terminal and the ESD circuit to provide a safe discharge path through the third bond wire for ESD events affecting the first and second output terminals. Thus, a charge that builds up involving one of the output terminals coupled to the balun can be safely dissipated.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a balun circuit including an input coil and an output coil disposed on an integrated circuit die;
- a first bond wire is coupled to a first terminal of the balun circuit and is coupled to a first output terminal of an integrated circuit package housing the integrated circuit die;
- a second bond wire is coupled to a second terminal of the balun circuit and is coupled to a second output terminal on the integrated circuit package, the second output terminal for coupling to a first ground, the first ground being a board ground of a printed circuit board on which the integrated circuit package is mounted;
- and
- a third bond wire is coupled to the second output terminal and to an electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit on the integrated circuit die.
A method of providing electrostatic discharge protection for a package terminal of an integrated circuit package, the package terminal being coupled to a first terminal of a balun circuit through a bond wire, the first terminal also being coupled to a ground of a printed circuit board on which the integrated circuit is mounted, the method comprising:
- responsive to a voltage being above a predetermined threshold at the package terminal, providing a low impedance path from the package terminal to an integrated circuit ground through a second bond wire coupled to the first terminal and coupled to an electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit disposed between the bond wire and the integrated circuit ground.
An apparatus comprising:
- a printed circuit board having a first ground;
- an integrated circuit packaged mounted on the printed circuit board;
- a die mounted in the integrated circuit package, the die including,
- a balun circuit including an input coil and an output coil;
- electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit coupled to a ground of the integrated circuit die;
- a first bond wire disposed between a first terminal of the balun circuit and a first package terminal of the integrated circuit package;
- a second bond wire disposed between a second terminal of the balun circuit to a second package terminal on the integrated circuit package, the second package terminal coupled to the first ground of the printed circuit board;
- and
- a third bond wire disposed between the second package terminal and the ESD circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.