Silicon controlled rectifier electrostatic discharge protection device for power supply lines with powerdown mode of operation

US7274047B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Sarnoff Corporation · US
• Sarnoff Europe BVBA · BE

Inventors

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

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 10, 2005
• Grant date: Sep 25, 2007
• Expiry date: Jan 10, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D8/80

Abstract

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit in a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) having protected circuitry. The ESD protection circuit includes a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) having at least one first type high dopant region coupled to a first reference potential of the protected circuitry, and at least one second type high dopant region coupled to a second reference potential of the IC. The SCR is triggered by an external on-chip trigger device, which is adapted for injecting a trigger current into at least one gate of the SCR.