Electrostatic discharge protection system for mixed voltage application specific integrated circuit design
First Claim
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1. An integrated circuit having over-voltage protection, said circuit comprising:
- a plurality of power input terminal sets, at least two of said plurality of power input terminal sets operable by a different one of a plurality of power voltages, each of said plurality of power input terminal sets including a ground terminal and a VDD terminal operated at a potential more positive than its respective ground terminal; and
a plurality of active, over-voltage protection devices electrically connected to provide electrostatic discharge conduction paths among pairs of VDD terminals and ground terminals,wherein a first subgroup of said plurality of over-voltage protection devices provide multiple electrostatic discharge conduction paths between a VDD terminal and a ground terminal of a first one of said plurality of power input terminal sets.
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Abstract
An ESD protection system that makes use of several different types of over-voltage protection devices provides ESD conduction paths between different power lines. For example, the system may employ shunt diodes between the ground lines of the different power supplies and between I/O pads and power supply lines; SCR protection between I/O pads and ground; and thick field device protection between different power supply VDD lines. In this way, a conduction path for an ESD event between two input, output power and ground pads may be implemented using the device whose switching characteristics are best suited to that application.
72 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit having over-voltage protection, said circuit comprising:
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a plurality of power input terminal sets, at least two of said plurality of power input terminal sets operable by a different one of a plurality of power voltages, each of said plurality of power input terminal sets including a ground terminal and a VDD terminal operated at a potential more positive than its respective ground terminal; and a plurality of active, over-voltage protection devices electrically connected to provide electrostatic discharge conduction paths among pairs of VDD terminals and ground terminals, wherein a first subgroup of said plurality of over-voltage protection devices provide multiple electrostatic discharge conduction paths between a VDD terminal and a ground terminal of a first one of said plurality of power input terminal sets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for protecting an integrated circuit from over-voltages comprising the steps of:
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receiving an over-voltage pulse at a first power input terminal; establishing a first current path to conduct a portion of said pulse to a second power input terminal; establishing a second current path from said first power input terminal to conduct a remainder of said pulse to a third power input terminal; and establishing a current path from said second power input terminal to conduct said portion of said pulse to said third power input terminal. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification