Nanotube ESD protective devices and corresponding nonvolatile and volatile nanotube switches
First Claim
1. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for protecting a protected circuit coupled to an input pad, comprising:
- a nanotube switch electrically having a control, said switch coupled to the protected circuit and to a discharge path;
wherein the nanotube switch is controllable, in response to electrical stimulation of the control, between a de-activated state and an activated state;
wherein the activated state creates a current path so that a signal on the input pad flows to the discharge path to cause the signal at the input pad to remain within a predefined operable range for the protected circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Nanotube ESD protective devices and corresponding nonvolatile and volatile nanotube switches. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for protecting a protected circuit is coupled to an input pad. The ESD circuit includes a nanotube switch electrically having a control. The switch is coupled to the protected circuit and to a discharge path. The nanotube switch is controllable, in response to electrical stimulation of the control, between a de-activated state and an activated state. The activated state creates a current path so that a signal on the input pad flows to the discharge path to cause the signal at the input pad to remain within a predefined operable range for the protected circuit. The nanotube switch, the input pad, and the protected circuit may be on a semiconductor chip. The nanotube switch may be on a chip carrier. The deactivated and activated states may be volatile or non-volatile depending on the embodiment. The ESD circuit may be repeatedly programmed between the activated and deactivated states so as to repeatedly activate and deactivate ESD protection of the protected circuit. The nanotube switch provides protection based on the magnitude of the signal on the input pad.
205 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for protecting a protected circuit coupled to an input pad, comprising:
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a nanotube switch electrically having a control, said switch coupled to the protected circuit and to a discharge path;
wherein the nanotube switch is controllable, in response to electrical stimulation of the control, between a de-activated state and an activated state;
wherein the activated state creates a current path so that a signal on the input pad flows to the discharge path to cause the signal at the input pad to remain within a predefined operable range for the protected circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit coupled to an input pad for protecting a protected circuit also coupled to the input pad, said ESD protection circuit comprising:
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a nanotube switch having at least two terminals and at least one control, a first of the two terminals being electrically coupled to the input pad and protected circuit and a second of the two terminals being coupled to a discharge path;
wherein the nanotube switch is controllable, in response to electrical stimulation of the control, between a de-activated state and an activated state;
wherein the de-activated state presents a relatively high impedance between the first and second terminals of the nanotube switch so that a signal on the input pad passes to the protected circuit substantially unaltered;
wherein the activated state presents a relatively low impedance between the first and second terminals of the nanotube switch so that a signal on the input pad flows to the discharge path coupled to the second terminal;
wherein the nanotube switch includes a nanotube element having a plurality of nanotubes, wherein the nanotube is sized to produce the relatively low impedance of the nanotube switch in the activated state, said relatively low impedance being sufficient to cause the signal at the input pad to remain within a predefined operable range for the protected circuit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification