METHOD AND APPARATUS OF PROVIDING 2-STAGE ESD PROTECTION FOR HIGH-SPEED INTERFACES

• US 20090046401A1
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Dunnihoo, Jeff, Kimoto, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/56
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/005 avoiding undesired transient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/042 comprising means to limit the absorbed power or indicate damaged over-voltage protection device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus of providing 2-stage ESD protection for high-speed interfaces. An aspect of the present invention is to provide an integrated multi-stage ESD/EOS protection solution for such high-speed applications. In one embodiment, the ESD protection device has multiple ESD stages integrated into a single integrated circuit package and is mounted to a printed circuit board in series with a device under protection. In another embodiment the multiple ESD stages integrated into a single integrated circuit package of the ESD protection device are coupled with a series element that isolates a 2nd stage from a 1st stage during an ESD event, thus ensuring that the 2^nd stage turns on before the 1^st stage, as well as provides for less current in the 2^nd stage.

Claims

1. An electrostatic discharge protection device that protects another separate protected device from an ESD event pulse by transmitting the ESD event pulse to ground and passes a signal to the separate protected device comprising:

an integrated semiconductor, the integrated semiconductor including;

an input pad that receives the signal and the ESD event pulse;

an output pad adapted for connection to the separate protection device so that the electrostatic discharge protection device is disposed in series with the separate protected device and provides the signal to the separate protected device; and

an electrostatic discharge circuit connected between the input pad and the output pad, the electrostatic discharge circuit dissipating the ESD event pulse by providing a path to the ground, the electrostatic discharge circuit comprising;

a first stage that contains a first ESD clamp device that provides an electrostatic discharge path to the ground for the ESD event pulse;

a second stage that contains a second ESD clamp device that provides another electrostatic discharge path to the ground for the ESD event pulse, such that the first stage clamps more energy from the ESD event pulse than the second stage; and

a series coupling element that couples the first stage to the second stage, so that during the ESD event, the first stage turns on independently of the second stage.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first ESD clamp device includes a first pair of steering diodes and a first zener diode and wherein the second ESD clamp device includes a second pair of steering diodes and a second zener diode.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the signal is a differential signal having a positive component and a negative component, where the input pad, the output pad, and the electrostatic discharge circuit are duplicated to operate upon the differential signal;

and

further including dual rail clamps that are used by each of the first and second ESD clamp devices, wherein the dual rails include decoupled positive voltage rails.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the duplicated electrostatic discharge circuits each include a separate first stage, second stage and series coupling element for each of the positive component and the negative component of the differential signal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the first ESD clamp device in each of the duplicated electrostatic discharge circuits include the first pair of steering diodes and the first zener diode and wherein the second ESD clamp in each of the duplicated electrostatic discharge circuits device includes the second pair of steering diodes and the second zener diode.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the first and second ESD clamps each do not include a zener diode.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the first stage turns on before the second stage.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first and second ESD clamps each do not include a zener diode.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first stage turns on before the second stage.

10. An apparatus for transmitting a signal and discharging an ESD event pulse associated with an ESD event to ground comprising:

a printed circuit board having an input line that transmits the signal;

a device under protection mounted on the printed circuit board, the device under protection including an integrated circuit that contains an ESD protected input that receives the signal and a device under protection electrostatic discharge circuit for dissipating the ESD event pulse by providing a device under protection path to the ground, the device under protection electrostatic discharge circuit including a second stage that contains a second ESD clamp device; and

an electrostatic discharge protection device mounted on the printed circuit board in series with the device under protection, thereby protecting the device under protection from the ESD event and transmitting the signal to the device under protection, the electrostatic discharge protection device including;

an integrated semiconductor, the integrated semiconductor including;

an input pad electrically coupled to the input line of the printed circuit board, that receives the signal and the ESD event pulse associated with the ESD event;

an output pad electrically coupled to the ESD protected input of the device under protection so that the electrostatic discharge protection device is disposed in series with the device under protection and providing a path for the signal to the ESD protected input; and

an electrostatic discharge circuit connected between the input pad and the output pad, the electrostatic discharge circuit dissipating the ESD event pulse by providing a path to the ground, the electrostatic discharge circuit comprising;

a first stage that contains a first ESD clamp device that provides an electrostatic discharge path to the ground, such that the first stage clamps more energy from the ESD event pulse than the second stage; and

a series coupling element that couples the first stage to the second stage, so that during the ESD event, the first stage turns on independently of the second stage.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the first ESD clamp device includes a first pair of steering diodes and a first zener diode and wherein the second ESD clamp device includes a second pair of steering diodes and a second zener diode.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the signal is a differential signal having a positive component and a negative component, where the input pad, the output pad, the device under protection electrostatic discharge circuit, and the electrostatic discharge circuit are duplicated to operate upon the differential signal;

and

further including dual rail clamps that are used by each of the first and second ESD clamp devices, wherein the dual rails include decoupled positive voltage rails.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the duplicated electrostatic discharge circuits each include a separate first stage, second stage and series coupling element for each of the positive component and the negative component of the differential signal.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the first ESD clamp device in each of the duplicated electrostatic discharge circuits include the first pair of steering diodes and the first zener diode and wherein the second ESD clamp in each of the duplicated electrostatic discharge circuits device includes the second pair of steering diodes and the second zener diode.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the first and second ESD clamps each do not include a zener diode.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the first stage turns on before the second stage.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the first and second ESD clamps each do not include a zener diode.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the first stage turns on before the second stage.