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AssigneeMicrel, Inc.
InventorsDouglas Miller, Shekar Mallikarjunaswamy
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A semiconductor structure which protects against damages to an integrated circuit caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD) at a power supply pin includes a channel stop field plate coupled between a power supply terminal associated with the power supply pin and contacts to N-type substrate or N-wells formed in the semiconductor structure receiving the power supply voltage. The field plate functions to inhibit surface leakage current and is also used to introduce a resistance between the power supply pin and connections to N-wells or the N-substrate, thereby providing protection to the wells or substrate against damages caused by an ESD event. By exploiting an existing structure used in typical integrated circuit for ESD protection, ESD immunity of a semiconductor device can be enhanced without consuming additional silicon area.
A semiconductor structure formed in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type for protecting against electrostatic discharge comprising:
A semiconductor structure formed in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type for protecting against electrostatic discharge comprising:
A method for providing electrostatic discharge protection to a semiconductor device formed in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, said semiconductor device comprising a first well of a second conductivity type and having a first dopant concentration, a first region of said second conductivity type formed in said first well and having a second dopant concentration greater than said first dopant concentration, an oxide region formed in and above a top surface of said semiconductor substrate and encircling an active region in which a circuit element is formed;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.