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US 2020/0266187 A1Published application
Esd protection circuit providing multiple detection signals
AssigneeNXP USA, Inc.
InventorsKuo-Hsuan Meng, James W. Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ESD protection circuit includes a detection circuit for detecting an ESD event. The detection circuit includes two current mirrors each for providing two detection signals. The ESD protection circuit includes driver circuitry that produces trigger signals to clamp circuits that make conductive the clamp circuits in response to an ESD event based on the detection signals from the current mirrors.
Claims20
A circuit comprising:
- a first current mirror coupled to a first power rail and including a master device and a mirror device, the first current mirror including a first output from a current electrode of the master device of the first current mirror configured to provide a first detection signal indicative of an ESD event and a second output from a current electrode of the mirror device of the first current mirror configured to provide a second detection signal indicative of the ESD event;
- a second current mirror coupled to a second power rail and including a master device and a mirror device, the second current mirror including a first output from a current electrode of the master device of the second current mirror configured to provide a third detection signal indicative of the ESD event and a second output from a current electrode of the mirror device of the second current mirror configured to provide a fourth detection signal indicative of the ESD event;
- a first trigger path including inputs to receive at least two of the first, second, third, and fourth detection signals and an output to provide a first trigger signal to a first ESD clamp device wherein the first trigger signal is configured to enable the first ESD clamp device in response to the ESD event, wherein the first trigger signal is provided based on the at least two of the first, second, third, and fourth detection signals;
- and
- a second trigger path including an input to receive at least an other one of the first, second, third, and fourth detection signals and an output to provide a second trigger signal to a second ESD clamp device wherein the second trigger signal is configured to enable the second ESD clamp device in response to the ESD event, wherein the second trigger signal is provides based on at least the other one of the first, second, third, and fourth signals.
2 more elements
A circuit comprising:
- a first current mirror coupled to a first power rail and including a master device and a mirror device, the first current mirror including a first output from a current electrode of the master device of the first current mirror configured to provide a first detection signal indicative of an ESD event and a second output from a current electrode of the mirror device of the first current mirror configured to provide a second detection signal indicative of the ESD event;
- a second current mirror coupled to a second power rail and including a master device and a mirror device, the second current mirror including a first output from a current electrode of the master device of the second current mirror configured to provide a third detection signal indicative of the ESD event and a second output from a current electrode of the mirror device of the second current mirror configured to provide a fourth detection signal indicative of the ESD event;
- driver circuitry configured to provide a first trigger signal to a first ESD clamp device wherein the first trigger signal is asserted during an ESD event to enable the first ESD clamp device and a second trigger signal to a second ESD clamp device wherein the second trigger signal is asserted during an ESD event to enable the second ESD clamp device, wherein the driver circuitry comprises:
- a first node assertion path configured to pull a voltage of a first circuit node in the driver circuitry to its asserted state during an ESD event based on at least a first one of the first, second, third, and fourth detection signals;
- a second node assertion path configured to pull a voltage of a second circuit node in the driver circuitry to its asserted state during an ESD event based on at least a second one of the first, second, third, and fourth detection signals;
- and
- a third node assertion path configured to pull a voltage of a third circuit node in the driver circuitry to its asserted state during an ESD event base on at least a third one of the first, second, third, and fourth detection signals.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.