Electrostatic discharge protection
AssigneeCambridge Silicon Radio Limited
InventorWilliam Pugsley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated circuit (100) comprising a driver element (108) electrically connected to a pin of a package housing the integrated circuit (100), the driver element (108) being associated with a detection element (128) such that on detection of an electrostatic discharge event occurring at the pin by the detection element (128) a system associated with the integrated circuit (100) can be activated.
Claims39
An integrated circuit comprising a driver element electrically connected to a pin of a package housing the integrated circuit, the driver element being associated with a detection element such that on detection of an electrostatic discharge event occurring at the pin by the detection element a system associated with the integrated circuit can be activated, wherein a voltage of a substrate on which the driver element is mounted increases when an electrostatic discharge event occurs at the pin, and wherein the detection element is located in close proximity to the driver element such that when an electrostatic discharge event occurs at the pin the detection element is activated by the increased voltage of the substrate.
An integrated circuit comprising a driver element electrically connected to a pin of a package housing the integrated circuit, the driver element being associated with a detection element such that on detection of an electrostatic discharge event occurring at the pin by the detection element a system associated with the integrated circuit can be activated, wherein the detection element is substantially surrounded by the driver element.
A method of reacting to an electrostatic discharge event occurring at a pin of a package of an integrated circuit, the method comprising detecting, at a detection element, the occurrence of the electrostatic discharge event and causing activation of a system associated with the integrated circuit, wherein a voltage of a substrate on which a driver element of the integrated circuit is mounted increases when an electrostatic discharge event occurs at the pin, and wherein the detection element is substantially surrounded by the driver element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.