Guard ring having electrically isolated lightening bars
First Claim
1. A guard ring for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection comprising:
- a substrate;
a first ring on the substrate having a plurality of electrically connected lightening bars; and
, a second ring on the substrate, concentric to the first ring, and having a plurality of lightening bars electrically isolated from one another.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A guard ring for protecting against electrostatic discharge (ESD) that has electrically isolated lightening bars is disclosed. The guard ring has a substrate, a first ring, and a second ring. The first ring is on the substrate and has a number of electrically connected lightening bars. The second ring is also on the substrate and concentric to the first ring, but has a number of lightening bars that are electrically isolated from one another. The first ring may be the outer ring and the second ring may be the inner ring, or vice-versa. The guard ring has an ESD breakdown voltage that does not change, even after the first ring or the second ring has protected against ESD. The guard ring may protect a semiconductor component like a semiconductor photomask or a semiconductor device.
12 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A guard ring for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection comprising:
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a substrate;
a first ring on the substrate having a plurality of electrically connected lightening bars; and
,a second ring on the substrate, concentric to the first ring, and having a plurality of lightening bars electrically isolated from one another. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A photomask comprising:
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a substantially transparent substrate;
a circuit area formed on the substantially transparent substrate that is substantially opaque;
an inner ring on the substrate that is substantially opaque and that surrounds the circuit area, the inner ring providing electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of the circuit area;
an outer ring on the substrate concentric to the inner ring that is substantially opaque, the outer ring also providing ESD protection of the circuit area;
a plurality of electrically connected lightening bars that are part of one of the inner ring and the outer ring; and
,a plurality of lightening bars that are electrically isolated from one another and that are part of another of the inner ring and the outer ring. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor component comprising:
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forming a circuit area on a substrate of the component;
forming an inner ring on the substrate that surrounds the circuit area and that provides electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of the circuit area; and
,forming an outer ring on the substrate concentric to the inner ring and that also provides ESD protection of the circuit area, an ESD breakdown voltage of the inner and outer rings remaining the same even after one of the inner ring and the outer ring has protected against ESD. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification