Silicon controlled rectifier electrostatic discharge protection device with external on-chip triggering and compact internal dimensions for fast triggering

US6791122B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Sarnoff Corporation · US
• Sarnoff Europe · BE

Inventors

• Leslie R. Avery · Flemington, US
• Christian Russ · Diedorf, DE
• Koen Gerard Maria Verhaege · Gistel, BE
• Markus Mergens · Plainsboro, US
• John Armer · Middlesex, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 5, 2001
• Grant date: Sep 14, 2004
• Expiry date: Nov 5, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L2924/0002

Abstract

A silicon controlled rectifier electrostatic discharge protection circuit with external on-chip triggering and compact internal dimensions for fast triggering. The ESD protection circuit includes a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) having an anode coupled to the protected circuitry and a cathode coupled to ground, where the cathode has at least one high-doped region. At least one trigger-tap is disposed proximate to the at least one high-doped region and an external on-chip triggering device is coupled to the trigger-tap and the protected circuitry.