Electrostatic discharge protection
US9722419B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 4, 2015 |
| Grant date | Aug 1, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 28, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10D89/60
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An electrostatic discharge protection circuit comprises at least two electrostatic discharge protection units connected in series between respective pairs of at least three input terminals, one of the input terminals being a reference input terminal. Each of the units comprises a silicon controlled rectifier and a current mirror. The output of the silicon controlled rectifier constitutes a first output of the respective unit and is connected to an input terminal of the circuit. The output of the current mirror constitutes a second output of the respective unit and is connected with the reference input terminal of the circuit. Thus the units are connected in series but the output terminals of the current mirrors are all connected with the reference input terminal, which may be a ground terminal, so as to minimize the breakdown resistance of the circuit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.