ESD protection circuit for a switching power converter

US8345394B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Analog Devices, Inc. · US

Inventors

• James Zhao · Shanghai, CN
• Reed W. Adams · Mountain View, US
• Kenji Tomiyoshi · Cupertino, US
• Bin Shao · Shanghai, CN
• Atsushi Matamura · Tokyo, JP
• Yogesh Sharma · Boise, US
• Todd Thomas · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 5, 2009
• Grant date: Jan 1, 2013
• Expiry date: Sep 27, 2031

Classification

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

Abstract

An ESD protection circuit for a switching power converter which includes a high-side switching element connected between a supply voltage and the switching node, and a low-side switching element connected between the switching node and a common node. A current conduction path couples an ESD event that occurs on the switching node to an ESD sense node, and an ESD sensing circuit coupled to the sense node generates a trigger signal when an ESD event is sensed. A first logic gate keeps the high-side switching element off when the trigger signal indicates the sensing of an ESD event, and a second logic gate causes the low-side switching element to turn on when an ESD event is sensed such that the low-side switching element provides a conductive discharge path between the switching node and common node.