On-chip ESD protection circuit using enhancement-mode HEMT/MESFET technology
AssigneeWin Semiconductors Corp.
InventorsCheng-Kuo Lin, Yu-Chi Wang, Joseph Liu, Jean Sun
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Abstract
An on-chip circuit for protection against electrostatic discharge (ESD) is disclosed. Unlike conventional ESD protection circuit using high turn-on voltage diode string, the circuit uses a plural of enhancement-mode HEMT/MESFET triggered by a shorter diode string to shunt large ESD current for protected susceptive RF circuit. Further, by using dual-gate technology of enhancement-mode HEMT/MESFET, the on-chip ESD protection circuit has the less parasitic capacitance without expanding device size for vulnerable RF circuit.
Claims14
An on-chip ESD protection circuit using enhancement mode high electron mobility transistor (E-mode HEMT)/metal semiconductor FET (MESFET) technology, for using between a pad point to main RF circuit input and a ground point to ground, comprising:
- a triggering diode string connected between the pad point and the ground pint;
- and
- a plurality of E-mode HEMT/MESFET having gates coupled to the triggering diode string connected between the pad point and the ground point in parallel to the triggering diode string, wherein the plurality of E-mode HEMT/MESFET triggered by the triggering diode string to shunt the voltage spike between the pad point and the ground point,
- wherein the plurality of E-mode HEMT/MESFET having dual gates capable of reducing parasitic capacitance for implement of RF circuits and optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEIC), a first gate of the plurality of E-mode HEMT/MESFET coupled to the triggering diode string for switch configuration and a second gate of the plurality of E-mode HEMT/MESFET coupled to drain.
An on-chip ESD protection circuit using enhancement mode high electron mobility transistor (E-mode HEMT)/metal semiconductor FET (MESFET) technology, for using between a pad point to main RF circuit input and a ground point to ground, comprising:
- a triggering diode string connected between the pad point and the ground pint;
- and
- a plurality of E-mode HEMT/MESFET having gates coupled to the triggering diode string connected between the pad point and the ground point in parallel to the triggering diode string, wherein the plurality of E-mode HEMT/MESFET triggered by the triggering diode string to shunt the voltage spike between the pad point and the ground point,
- wherein the plurality of E-mode HEMT/MESFET having dual gates capable of reducing parasitic capacitance for implement of RF circuits and optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEIC), a first gate of the plurality of E-mode HEMT/MESFET coupled to the triggering diode string for switch configuration and a second gate of the plurality of E-mode HEMT/MESFET coupled to any nodal point on triggering diode string.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.