US 7,889,468 B2Granted

Protection of integrated electronic circuits from electrostatic discharge

AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.

InventorsPhilippe Galy, Laurent Micheli, Ghislain Troussier, Mickael Rien, Jean-Francois Veniant

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Abstract

Circuit nodes are identified which, in unpowered mode, can be charged with positive or negative charges but cannot be discharged. Then protective elements are added to allow the discharge of these nodes. These elements do not affect the operation of the circuit in powered mode. Discharges of the two polarities are handled, positive and negative. The circuit is thus more resistant to ESD and passes CDM tests.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An integrated electronic circuit comprising:

a high voltage terminal and a low voltage terminal;
a first circuit branch including a first capacitive island node and a first pair of transistors, both of a first conductivity type, coupled between first and second nodes and coupled together at the first capacitive node, the first circuit branch being structured, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to an operating voltage, to only allow the discharge of said first capacitive island node for electrical charges of a first polarity, but not for electrical charges of a second polarity;
and
a second circuit branch including a second capacitive island node and a second pair of transistors, both of a second conductivity type, coupled between third and fourth nodes and coupled together at the second capacitive node, the second circuit branch being structured, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, to only allow the discharge of said second capacitive island node for electrical charges of the second polarity;
a first protective element coupled to the first capacitive island node and structured to allow the discharge of said first capacitive island node for charges of the second polarity, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, and not to allow the flow of an electrical current to or from said first capacitive island node through the first protective element when the electronic circuit is exposed to the operating voltage;
and
a second protective element coupled between the second capacitive island node and the low voltage terminal and structured to allow the discharge of said second capacitive island node for charges of the first polarity, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, and not to allow the flow of an electrical current to or from said second capacitive island node through the second protective element when the electronic circuit is exposed to the operating voltage.

4 more elements

A method for producing an integrated electronic circuit having a determined operation when the electronic circuit is exposed to an operating voltage, said process comprising:

providing a first circuit branch including a first capacitive island node and a first pair of transistors, both of a first conductivity type, coupled between first and second nodes and coupled together at the first capacitive island node, the first circuit branch being structured, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, to only allow the discharge of said first capacitive island node for electrical charges of a first polarity, but not for electrical charges of a second polarity;
providing a second circuit branch including a second capacitive island node and a second pair of transistors, both of a second conductivity type, coupled between third and fourth nodes and coupled together at the second capacitive island node, the second circuit branch being structured, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, to only allow the discharge of said second node for electrical charges of the second polarity but not for electrical charges of the first polarity;
providing a first protective element associated with the first capacitive island node and structured to allow the discharge of said first capacitive island node for charges of the second polarity, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, and not to allow the flow of an electrical current to or from said first capacitive island node through the first protective element when the electronic circuit is exposed to the operating voltage;
and
providing a second protective element coupled between the second capacitive island node and a low voltage terminal and structured to allow the discharge of said second capacitive island node for charges of the first polarity, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, and not to allow the flow of an electrical current to or from said second capacitive island node through the second protective element when the electronic circuit is exposed to the operating voltage.

2 more elements

An integrated electronic circuit comprising:

a high voltage terminal and a low voltage terminal:
a first circuit branch including a first capacitive island node, and a first pair of transistors, both of a first conductivity type, coupled between first and second nodes and coupled together at the first capacitive island node, and means for, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to an operating voltage, only allowing the discharge of said first capacitive island node for electrical charges of a first polarity, but not for electrical charges of a second polarity;
a second circuit branch including a second capacitive island node, and a second pair of transistors, both of a second conductivity type, coupled between third and fourth nodes and coupled together at the second capacitive island node, and means for, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, only allowing the discharge of said second capacitive island node for electrical charges of the second polarity but not for electrical charges of the first polarity;
a first protective means, associated with the first capacitive island node, for allowing the discharge of said first capacitive island node for charges of the second polarity, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, and not allowing the flow of an electrical current to or from said first capacitive island node through the first protective element when the electronic circuit is exposed to the operating voltage;
and
second protective means, coupled between the second circuit node and the low voltage terminal, for allowing the discharge of said second capacitive island node for charges of the first polarity, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, and not allowing the flow of an electrical current to or from said second capacitive island node through the second protective element when the electronic circuit is exposed to the operating voltage.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An integrated electronic circuit comprising:

a high voltage terminal and a low voltage terminal;
a first circuit branch including a first capacitive island node and a first pair of transistors, both of a first conductivity type, coupled between first and second nodes and coupled together at the first capacitive node, the first circuit branch being structured, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to an operating voltage, to only allow the discharge of said first capacitive island node for electrical charges of a first polarity, but not for electrical charges of a second polarity;
and
a second circuit branch including a second capacitive island node and a second pair of transistors, both of a second conductivity type, coupled between third and fourth nodes and coupled together at the second capacitive node, the second circuit branch being structured, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, to only allow the discharge of said second capacitive island node for electrical charges of the second polarity;
a first protective element coupled to the first capacitive island node and structured to allow the discharge of said first capacitive island node for charges of the second polarity, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, and not to allow the flow of an electrical current to or from said first capacitive island node through the first protective element when the electronic circuit is exposed to the operating voltage;
and
a second protective element coupled between the second capacitive island node and the low voltage terminal and structured to allow the discharge of said second capacitive island node for charges of the first polarity, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, and not to allow the flow of an electrical current to or from said second capacitive island node through the second protective element when the electronic circuit is exposed to the operating voltage.

4 more elements