Electrostatic discharge protection structures having high holding current for latch-up immunity

US6803633B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Sarnoff Corporation · US
• Sarnoff Europe · BE

Inventors

• Markus Mergens · Plainsboro, US
• Cornelius Christian Russ · Diedorf, DE
• John Armer · Middlesex, US
• Koen Gerard Maria Verhaege · Gistel, BE
• Phillip Czeslaw Jozwiak · Plainsboro, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 15, 2002
• Grant date: Oct 12, 2004
• Expiry date: Jun 27, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D89/921

Abstract

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having high holding current for latch-up immunity. The ESD protection circuit is formed in a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) having protected circuitry. The ESD protection device includes a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) coupled between a protected supply line of the IC and ground. A trigger device is coupled from the supply line to a first gate of the SCR, and a first substrate resistor is coupled between the first gate and ground. A first shunt resistor is coupled between the first gate and ground, wherein the shunt resistor has a resistance value lower than the substrate resistor.