Dynamic substrate biasing for extended voltage operation
First Claim
1. A biased substrate circuit comprising:
- an integrated circuit (IC) layer divided into wells by dielectric isolation regions of a dielectric isolation material, the dielectric isolation material having a first breakdown voltage;
a base substrate layer separated from the IC layer by an insulation layer having a second breakdown voltage; and
a voltage protection stack coupled to the base substrate layer in at least two different locations, the voltage protection stack including a plurality of voltage protection components, the voltage protection stack having a stack breakdown voltage greater than the first breakdown voltage and the second breakdown voltage.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device includes an integrated circuit (IC) layer, an insulative layer such as a buried oxide (BOX) layer, a substrate layer separated from the IC layer by the insulative layer, and a set of protective components such as a set of Zener diodes or a Zener stack coupled to the IC layer to protect the IC layer from transient electric events such as an electrostatic discharge (ESD), an inductive flyback, and a back electromotive force (back-EMF) event. The Zener stack has a Zener breakdown voltage greater than a breakdown voltage of the IC layer. An effective bias voltage has a voltage level less than the breakdown voltage of the IC layer. The Zener diode or Zener stack may be coupled to one or more isolation structures of the IC layer. The isolation structures separate the IC layer into electrically distinct portions or wells in which other electric components are formed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A biased substrate circuit comprising:
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an integrated circuit (IC) layer divided into wells by dielectric isolation regions of a dielectric isolation material, the dielectric isolation material having a first breakdown voltage; a base substrate layer separated from the IC layer by an insulation layer having a second breakdown voltage; and a voltage protection stack coupled to the base substrate layer in at least two different locations, the voltage protection stack including a plurality of voltage protection components, the voltage protection stack having a stack breakdown voltage greater than the first breakdown voltage and the second breakdown voltage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A device comprising:
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a substrate layer separated by a buried oxide (BOX) layer, having a BOX isolation breakdown voltage, from an integrated circuit (IC) layer, the IC layer having IC components; at least a first isolation structure disposed proximate to the IC layer, the first isolation structure extending through the BOX layer at least to the substrate layer, and the first isolation structure having an isolation breakdown voltage, the first isolation structure isolating the IC components; and a protective stack having a stack breakdown voltage greater than the isolation breakdown voltage, the stack coupled to the substrate layer in at least two different locations, the stack comprising; a first voltage protection component having a first anode coupled to one of the at least two different locations and a first cathode coupled to the first isolation structure and operable in use to receive a transient voltage, a difference between the transient voltage at a cathode of the stack and the substrate bias voltage being less than the isolation breakdown voltage; and a second voltage protection component having a second anode and a second cathode, the second anode coupled to the first cathode of the first voltage protection component, the second cathode of the second voltage protection component being at the cathode of the stack. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An electronic device comprising:
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a voltage protection stack including a plurality of voltage protection components, wherein an anode of at least one of the voltage protection components is grounded, wherein a cathode of at least one of the voltage protection components is coupled to a load, the voltage protection stack having a stack breakdown voltage; an integrated circuit (IC) layer having an IC layer breakdown voltage, the IC layer including; active IC components, the IC layer coupled to a first voltage source of a first voltage level for operation of the active IC components; and a first poly silicon region coupled to a cathode of at least one of the voltage protection components of the voltage protection stack; an insulator layer having a first side adjacent to the IC layer; and a substrate layer adjacent to a second side of the insulator layer, wherein the voltage protection stack breakdown voltage of the voltage protection stack is greater than the IC layer breakdown voltage. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification