Tapered voltage polysilicon diode electrostatic discharge circuit for power MOSFETs and ICs
US7768034B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 1, 2007 |
| Grant date | Aug 3, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 5, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10D84/148
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection network for power MOSFETs includes parallel branches, containing polysilicon zener diodes and resistors, used for protecting the gate from rupture caused by high voltages caused by ESD. The branches may have the same or independent paths for voltage to travel across from the gate region into the semiconductor substrate. Specifically, the secondary branch has a higher breakdown voltage than the primary branch so that the voltage is shared across the two branches of the protection network. The ESD protection network of the device provides a more effective design without increasing the space used on the die. The ESD protection network can also be used with other active and passive devices such as thyristors, insulated-gate bipolar transistors, and bipolar junction transistors.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.