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US 6,650,165 B1Granted
Localized electrostatic discharge protection for integrated circuit input/output pads
AssigneeMicrel, Inc.
InventorShekar Mallikarjunaswamy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for localized electrostatic discharge protection of integrated circuit input/output pads. The localized clamp is isolated from the main supply voltage clamp and coupled to the input/output pad through low-capacitance diodes.
Claims40
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an input/output pad;
- a supply voltage pad;
- a first diode coupling the input/output pad to the supply voltage pad;
- a second diode coupling the input/output pad to a ground terminal;
- and
- a first transistor coupled between the supply voltage pad and the ground terminal, whereby the first transistor is coupled to the first diode, and wherein the first transistor is configured to absorb electrostatic discharge flowing through the input/output pad.
3 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an input/output pad;
- a supply voltage pad;
- a first diode coupling the input/output pad to the
- supply voltage pad;
- a second diode coupling the input/output pad to a ground terminal;
- a first transistor coupled to the first diode and to the ground terminal to absorb electrostatic discharge flowing through the input/output pad;
- a capacitor coupled to the first diode and to a gate terminal of the first transistor;
- a first resistor coupled to the gate terminal of the first transistor and to the ground terminal;
- a second transistor coupled to the first diode and to the first transistor, with a gate terminal of the second transistor coupled to the gate terminal of the first transistor;
- and
- a second resistor coupled to a substrate terminal of the second transistor and to the ground terminal.
8 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an input/output pad;
- a supply voltage pad;
- a first diode coupling the input/output pad to the supply voltage pad;
- a second diode coupling the input/output pad to a ground terminal;
- a first transistor coupled to the first diode and to the ground terminal to absorb electrostatic discharge flowing through the input/output pad;
- and
- an isolation resistor coupling the first diode to the supply voltage pad.
4 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an input/output pad;
- a supply voltage pad;
- a first diode coupling the input/output pad to the supply voltage pad;
- a second diode coupling the input/output pad to a ground terminal;
- a first transistor coupled to the first diode and to the ground terminal to absorb electrostatic discharge flowing through the input/output pad;
- and
- an active clamp coupling the first diode to the supply voltage pad.
4 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an input/output pad;
- a supply voltage pad;
- a first diode coupling the input/output pad to the supply voltage pad;
- a second diode coupling the input/output pad to a ground terminal;
- a first transistor coupled to the first diode and to the ground terminal to absorb electrostatic discharge flowing through the input/output pad;
- and
- a third diode coupled to the supply voltage pad and to the ground terminal to provide electrostatic discharge protection for the supply voltage pad.
4 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an input/output terminal;
- a supply voltage terminal;
- a first diode coupling the input/output terminal to the supply voltage terminal;
- a second diode coupling the input/output terminal to a ground terminal;
- and
- means coupled to the first diode and between the supply voltage pad and the ground terminal for providing localized electrostatic discharge protection for the input/output terminal.
3 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an input/output terminal;
- a supply voltage terminal;
- a first diode coupling the input/output terminal to the supply voltage terminal;
- a second diode coupling the input/output terminal to a ground terminal;
- means coupled to the first diode for providing localized electrostatic discharge protection for the input/output terminal;
- and
- a resistor coupling the first diode to the supply voltage terminal.
4 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an input/output terminal;
- a supply voltage terminal;
- a first diode coupling the input/output terminal to the supply voltage terminal;
- a second diode coupling the input/output terminal to a ground terminal;
- means coupled to the first diode for providing localized electrostatic discharge protection for the input/output terminal;
- and
- a third diode coupling the supply voltage terminal to the ground terminal.
4 more elements
A method of providing electrostatic discharge protection for an input/output pad of an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- providing a first diode to couple the input/output pad to a supply voltage pad;
- providing a second diode to couple the input/output pad to a ground terminal;
- and
- providing a localized clamping circuit, for the input/output pad, having a first transistor coupled between the supply voltage pad and the ground terminal to absorb electrostatic discharge flowing through the input/output pad and the first diode.
1 more element
A method of providing electrostatic discharge protection for an input/output pad of an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- providing a first diode to couple the input/output pad to a supply voltage pad;
- providing a second diode to couple the input/output pad to a ground terminal;
- providing a localized clamping circuit, for the input/output pad, having a first transistor coupled between the supply voltage pad and the ground terminal to absorb electrostatic discharge flowing through the input/output pad and the first diode;
- and
- providing an isolation element between the supply voltage pad and the first diode to isolate the localized clamping circuit from the supply voltage pad.
2 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an input/output terminal;
- a supply voltage terminal;
- a first diode coupled to the input/output terminal;
- an isolation element coupling the first diode to the supply voltage terminal;
- a second diode coupling the input/output terminal to a first voltage terminal;
- and
- a first transistor coupled to the first diode and to the first voltage terminal to absorb electrostatic discharge flowing through the input/output terminal.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.