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US 9,437,591 B1Granted
Cross-domain electrostatic discharge protection device
AssigneeVanguard International Semiconductor Corporation
InventorsKaruna Nidhi, Federico Agustin Altolaguirre, Ming-Dou Ker, Geeng-Lih Lin
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Abstract
A cross-domain electrostatic protection device having four embedded silicon controlled rectifiers (a QSCR structure) embedded in a single cell. Two grounded-gate NMOS transistors are embedded into the cross-domain electrostatic protection device for reducing trigger voltage of the QSCR structure. Furthermore, an external trigger circuit and a bias circuit are applied to the cross-domain electrostatic protection device to reduce trigger voltage of the QSCR structure and leakage current.
Claims16
A cross-domain electrostatic discharge protection device, comprising:
- a deep n-well formed in a substrate;
- a first p-well and a second p-well formed in the deep n-well;
- a first n-well formed in the deep n-well and between the first p-well and the second p-well, the first n-well contacting the first p-well and the second p-well;
- a first p-type doped region and a second p-type doped region formed in the first n-well;
- a third P-type doped region and a fourth P-type doped region respectively formed in the first p-well and the second p-well;
- a first n-type doped region formed in the first p-well and between the third and first p-type doped regions;
- and a second n-type doped region formed in the second p-well and between the second and fourth P-type region;
- wherein the first p-type doped region is connected to a first voltage supply of a first power domain, the third p-type doped region and the first n-type doped region are connected to a second voltage supply of the first power domain;
- wherein the second p-type doped region is connected to a third voltage supply of a second power domain, the fourth p-type doped region and the second n-type doped region are connected to a fourth voltage supply of the second power domain;
- and wherein the first and second power domains are different domains.
7 more elements
A cross-domain electrostatic discharge protection device, comprising:
- a deep n-well formed in a substrate;
- a first p-well and a second p-well formed in the deep n-well;
- a first n-well formed in the deep n-well and between the first p-well and the second p-well, the first n-well contacting the first p-well and the second p-well;
- a first p-type doped region and a second p-type doped region formed in the first n-well;
- a third P-type doped region and a fourth P-type doped region respectively formed in the first p-well and the second p-well;
- a first n-type doped region formed in the first p-well and between the third and first p-type doped regions;
- and a second n-type doped region formed in the second p-well and between the second and fourth P-type region;
- a p-type bias region formed in the first n-well and between the first p-type doped region and the second p-type doped region;
- a fifth p-type doped region and a seventh p-type doped region respectively formed in the first p-well and the first n-well, and disposed between the first n-type doped region and the first p-type doped region;
- a sixth p-type doped region and an eighth p-type doped region respectively formed in the second p-well and the first n-well, and disposed between the second n-type doped region and the second p-type doped region;
- a third gate structure formed on the first n-well and between the first and seventh p-type doped regions;
- a fourth gate structure formed on the first n-well and between the second and eighth p-type doped regions;
- and an ESD detection and trigger circuit connected to the first, second, third and fourth p-type doped region, the p-type bias region, and the third and fourth gate structures;
- wherein the first p-type doped region is connected to a first voltage supply of a first power domain, the third p-type doped region and the first n-type doped region are connected to a second voltage supply of the first power domain;
- wherein the second p-type doped region is connected to a third voltage supply of a second power domain, the fourth p-type doped region and the second n-type doped region are connected to a fourth voltage supply of the second power domain;
- and wherein the first and second power domains are different domains;
- wherein the fifth and seventh p-type doped regions are electrically connected and the sixth and eighth p-type doped regions are electrically connected, the third and fourth gate structures are connected to a detection node and the p-type bias region is connected to a bias voltage;
- wherein the ESD detection and trigger circuit generates a detection voltage to the third and fourth gate structures to activate the cross-domain ESD protection device when an ESD event occurs at any of the first, second, third and fourth voltage supply.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.