Device and method for electrostatic discharge (esd) protection
AssigneeNXP B.V.
InventorsDa-Wei Lai, Wei-Jhih Tseng
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Abstract
Embodiments of an ESD protection device and a method for operating an ESD protection device are described. In one embodiment, an ESD protection device includes a first bipolar device connected to a first node, a second bipolar device connected to the first bipolar device and to a second node, a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) device connected to the first and second nodes and to the first and second bipolar devices and configured to shunt current in response to an ESD pulse received between the first and second nodes, and a diode device connected to the first node, to a third node, to the first and second bipolar devices, and to the MOS device. Other embodiments are also described.
Claims20
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device, the ESD protection device comprising:
- a first bipolar device connected to a first node;
- a second bipolar device connected to the first bipolar device and to a second node;
- a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) device connected to the first and second nodes and to the first and second bipolar devices and configured to shunt current in response to an ESD pulse received between the first and second nodes;
- and
- a diode device connected to the first node, to a third node, to the first and second bipolar devices, and to the MOS device.
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device, the ESD protection device comprising:
- a first bipolar device connected to a first node;
- a second bipolar device connected to the first bipolar device and to a second node, wherein the first and second bipolar devices comprise a PNP bipolar transistor and an NPN bipolar transistor;
- a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) device connected to the first and second nodes and to the first and second bipolar devices and configured to shunt current in response to an ESD pulse received between the first and second nodes;
- and
- a diode device connected to the first node, to a third node, to the first and second bipolar devices, and to the MOS device.
A method for operating an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device, the method comprising:
- receiving an ESD pulse at the ESD protection device;
- in response to the ESD pulse, activating a diode device of the ESD protection device;
- and
- in response to activating the diode device, conducting an ESD current from the ESD pulse using a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.