General protection of an integrated circuit against permanent overloads and electrostatic discharges
US5508548A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 22, 1994 |
| Grant date | Apr 16, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 22, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10D89/60
Abstract
In an integrated circuit, a diode is interposed between the semiconductor substrate and the contact pad to an external bias voltage, and the substrate is biased at an internal voltage reference. Between each contact pad of the integrated circuit and semiconductor substrate, there is positioned a protection device against permanent overloads and a protection device against electrostatic discharges. By isolating the semiconductor substrate from the external voltages source and by placing a protection device between each contact pad and the substrate, a broad, general protection of the integrated circuit is obtained against all the destructive phenomena such as overloads, positive and negative overvoltages, polarity reversal and electrostatic discharges.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.