Enhanced RC coupled electrostatic discharge protection

Abstract

An integrated circuit ESD protection technique includes a protection circuit having a series resistor-capacitor circuit connected between power supply bondpads. The resistor-capacitor circuit provides a desired time constant for control of active drive circuitry that controls a protective transistor also connected between the bondpads. The time constant is chosen to be short enough to prevent conduction of the protective transistor during normal operation and power-up, while still allowing conduction of the protective transistor during the initial phase of an ESD event. A feedback resistor is connected in parallel with the active circuitry, thereby lengthening the time that the protective transistor conducts during an ESD event. In this manner, the ESD current is more completely conducted through the protective circuitry, so that the level of protection is increased.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.