Shared electrostatic discharge protection for integrated circuit output drivers
US8218277B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 8, 2009 |
| Grant date | Jul 10, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 27, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10D89/815
Abstract
A system for protecting metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) output drivers within an integrated circuit (IC) from an electrostatic discharge (ESD) includes a first MOSFET output driver and a second MOSFET output driver positioned within a common IC diffusion material. The system includes a contact ring coupled to the common IC diffusion material and arranged along an outer edge of a perimeter surrounding the MOSFET output drivers. A centroid of each MOSFET output driver is common with a centroid of the perimeter surrounding both MOSFET output drivers. Each MOSFET output driver has a value of substrate resistance (Rsub) that initiates bipolar snapback in the MOSFET output driver at which an ESD event occurs. The value of Rsub depends upon a composite distance from the centroid of each MOSFET output driver to the contact ring.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.