Electrostatic discharge protection for integrated circuit during back end-of-line processing

An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

• a first electrical isolation region;
• a second electrical isolation region;
• a third electrical isolation region;
• a first device or sub-circuit disposed in the first electrical isolation region;
• a second device or sub-circuit disposed in the second electrical isolation region;
• an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection sub-circuit disposed in the third electrical isolation region;
• a first electrical interconnect layer disposed over the first, second, and third electrical isolation regions and electrically connecting the ESD protection sub-circuit between power supply terminals of the same polarity of the first device or sub-circuit and the second device or sub-circuit;
• and
• a second electrical interconnect layer disposed over the first electrical interconnect layer and electrically interconnecting the first device or sub-circuit and the second device or sub-circuit.

An integrated circuit (IC) fabrication process comprising:

• forming a first electrical isolation region;
• forming a second electrical isolation region;
• forming a third electrical isolation region;
• fabricating a first device or sub-circuit in the first electrical isolation region;
• fabricating a second device or sub-circuit in the second electrical isolation region;
• fabricating a back-to-back diodes sub-circuit in the third electrical isolation region wherein the back-to-back diodes sub-circuit has a first terminal and a second terminal and includes a first diode whose cathode is connected with the first terminal and whose anode is connected with the second terminal and a second diode whose anode is connected with the first terminal and whose cathode is connected with the second terminal;
• providing electrostatic discharge protection by electrically connecting the first terminal of the back-to-back diodes sub-circuit with a VSS power supply terminal of the first device or sub-circuit and electrically connecting the second terminal of the back-to-back diodes sub-circuit with a VSS power supply terminal of the second device or sub-circuit;
• and
• after providing the electrostatic discharge protection, electrically connecting the first device or sub-circuit and the second device or sub-circuit.