Methods and systems for electrostatic discharge
US7177127B2 · kind B2 · utility
1Cited by
6References
10Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 25, 2004 |
| Grant date | Feb 13, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 29, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02H9/008
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An indirect clamping topology may be used to protect against the damaging effects of an electrostatic discharge event. An input node of a device is protected by a guard. The guard is driven by a signal from a unity-gain amplifier that flows through a resistance. The input node is clamped to the guard by a diode, and the guard is clamped to a low-impedance rail by another diode. The resistance of the low-impedance rail is less than that of the resistance through which the signal from the unity-gain amplifier flows, so that voltage resulting from the event flows to the low-impedance rail and not to the amplifier.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.