Electrostatic discharge protection structure
US5272371A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 19, 1991 |
| Grant date | Dec 21, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 19, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10D89/601
Abstract
An ESD protection circuit and structure for implementation within an integrated circuit is disclosed. The protection circuit includes a diode, serving as a triggering device, and a lateral bipolar transistor. The triggering voltage of said diode is selected by an implant underlying a first field oxide structure adjacent a first diffused region to which the external terminal is connected. The lateral bipolar transistor uses the first diffused region to which the external terminal is connected as the collector region, a second diffused region opposite the first field oxide structure from said first diffused region as the emitter, and the substrate, or epitaxial layer, as the base. A second field oxide structure encircles the emitter region and has a distance thereacross which is selected in order to provide sufficient base resistance that, upon junction breakdown of the diode, the base-emitter junction of the lateral transistor is forward biased and the transistor turned on.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.