Patent · US Expired

Distributed ESD protection device for high speed integrated circuits

US5969929A · kind A · utility

62Cited by
11References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 10, 1998
Grant dateOct 19, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 10, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2224/49175

Abstract

A distributed electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for high frequency integrated circuits. A transmission line from an integrated circuit (IC) pad or package pin couples a plurality of ESD elements. The ESD elements, such as diodes, are distributed along the transmission line and coupled from the transmission line to ground or a power supply. The effective impedance of the transmission line and ESD elements is defined to match the impedance of an external line. Distributed ESD protection circuits provide a high frequency signal path that can be used well into the GHz frequency range and also provide effective ESD protection.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.