Electrostatic discharge trigger circuits for self-protecting cascode stages

US8130481B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED · US

Inventors

• Jinyu Yang · Plano, US
• Dening Wang · McKinney, US
• Gregory Romas · McKinney, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 5, 2008
• Grant date: Mar 6, 2012
• Expiry date: Oct 13, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D89/811

Abstract

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuits for self-protecting cascode stages are disclosed. In one example, an ESD protection circuit is described. A cascode stage is configured to selectively couple an output pad to a reference terminal. An ESD sensor may detect a change in voltage indicative of an ESD event occurring at the output pad, causing a gate drive to turn on the cascode stage to conduct ESD current in response to detection of the ESD event at the output pad. A leakage blocker is also included to prevent leakage current from the cascode stage to the gate drive while there is not an ESD event.