Electrostatic discharge protection system for mixed voltage application specific integrated circuit design

US5616943A · kind A · utility

Assignees

• AT&T Global Information Solutions Company · US
• Hyundai Electronics America · US
• Symbios Logic Inc. · US

Inventors

• Hoang P. Nguyen · Fort Collins, US
• John D. Walker · Rexburg, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 13, 1994
• Grant date: Apr 1, 1997
• Expiry date: Jun 13, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D89/811

Abstract

An ESD protection system that makes use of several different types of over-voltage protection devices provides ESD conduction paths between different power lines. For example, the system may employ shunt diodes between the ground lines of the different power supplies and between I/O pads and power supply lines; SCR protection between I/O pads and ground; and thick field device protection between different power supply V.sub.DD lines. In this way, a conduction path for an ESD event between two input, output power and ground pads may be implemented using the device whose switching characteristics are best suited to that application.