Electrostatic discharge protection apparatus having at least one junction and method for operating the same
First Claim
1. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection apparatus, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
a first well having a first conductivity, disposed in the semiconductor substrate;
a second well having a second conductivity, disposed in the semiconductor substrate;
a first doping region having the first conductivity and disposed in the first well;
a second doping region having the second conductivity and disposed in the first well;
a third doping region having the first conductivity, disposed in the second well;
a fourth doping region having the second conductivity, disposed in the second well;
a first junction formed by the first doping region and the second doping region; and
a second junction formed by the third doping region and the fourth doping region,wherein at least one of the first doping region, the second doping region, the third doping region and the fourth doping region is in a floating state, ESD current flows through the at least one of the first doping region, the second doping region, the third doping region and the fourth doping region in the floating state.
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Abstract
An ESD protection apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, a first well, a second well, a first doping region, a second doping region, a third doping region, a fourth doping region and at least one junction formed by different conductivities. The first well and the second well respectively having a first conductivity and a second conductivity are disposed in the semiconductor substrate. The first doping region having the first conductivity is disposed in the first well. The second doping region having the second conductivity is disposed in the first well. The third doping region and the fourth doping region respectively having the first conductivity and the second conductivity are disposed in the second well. The at least one junction is formed by the first doping region and the second doping region, or formed by the third doping region and the fourth doping region.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection apparatus, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate; a first well having a first conductivity, disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a second well having a second conductivity, disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a first doping region having the first conductivity and disposed in the first well; a second doping region having the second conductivity and disposed in the first well; a third doping region having the first conductivity, disposed in the second well; a fourth doping region having the second conductivity, disposed in the second well; a first junction formed by the first doping region and the second doping region; and a second junction formed by the third doping region and the fourth doping region, wherein at least one of the first doping region, the second doping region, the third doping region and the fourth doping region is in a floating state, ESD current flows through the at least one of the first doping region, the second doping region, the third doping region and the fourth doping region in the floating state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for operating an ESD protection apparatus, comprising:
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providing an ESD protection apparatus electrically connected to an internal circuit, the ESD protection apparatus comprising; a semiconductor substrate; a first well having a first conductivity, disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a second well having a second conductivity, disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a first doping region having the first conductivity and disposed in the first well; a second doping region having the second conductivity and disposed in the first well; a third doping region having the first conductivity, disposed in the second well; a fourth doping region having the second conductivity, disposed in the second well; a first junction formed by the first doping region and the second doping region; and a second junction formed by the third doping region and the fourth doping region, wherein at least one of the first doping region, the second doping region, the third doping region and the fourth doping region is in a floating state, when the internal circuit is subjected to an ESD stress, directing ESD current to a ground by the ESD protection apparatus through the at least one of the first doping region, the second doping region, the third doping region and the fourth doping region in the floating state, the first junction and the second junction. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification