Bi-directional ESD protection circuit

US8890248B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED · US

Inventors

• Timothy Patrick Pauletti · Plano, US
• Sameer Pendharkar · Allen, US
• Wayne T. Chen · Plano, US
• Jonathan Brodsky · Fort Lauderdale, US
• Robert Steinhoff · Dallas, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 26, 2004
• Grant date: Nov 18, 2014
• Expiry date: Jul 12, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D18/40

Abstract

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) device for protecting an input/output terminal of a circuit, the device comprising a first transistor with an integrated silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) coupled between the input/output (I/O) terminal of the circuit and a node and a second transistor with an integrated silicon-controlled rectifier coupled between the node and a negative terminal of a supply voltage, wherein the silicon-controlled rectifier of the first transistor triggers in response to a negative ESD voltage and the silicon-controlled rectifier of the second transistor triggers in response to a positive ESD voltage.