Electrostatic discharge protection device for digital circuits and for applications with input/output bipolar voltage much higher than the core circuit power supply

US7285828B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Intersail Americas Inc. · US

Inventors

• Javier Alejandro Salcedo · North Billerica, US
• Juin J. Liou · Oviedo, US
• Joseph C. Bernier · Peoria, US
• Donald K. Whitney · Melbourne, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 12, 2006
• Grant date: Oct 23, 2007
• Expiry date: Jan 12, 2026

Classification

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

Abstract

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) device and method is provided. The ESD device can comprise a substrate doped to a first conductivity type, an epitaxial region doped to the second conductivity type, and a first well doped to the first conductivity type disposed in the substrate. The first well can comprise a first region doped to the first conductivity type, a second region doped to a second conductivity type, and a first isolation region disposed between the first region and the second region. The ESD device can also comprise a second well doped to a second conductivity type disposed in the substrate adjacent to the first well, where the second well can comprise a third region doped to the first conductivity type, a fourth region doped to the second conductivity type, and a second isolation region disposed between the third region and the fourth region. Still further, the ESD device can include a first trigger contact and second trigger contact comprising highly doped regions of either conductivity type, the first trigger contact disposed at a junction between the first well and the second well, and the second trigger contact disposed at either well.