Whole chip ESD protection

• US 6,730,968 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Wu, Yi-Hsu, Lee, Jian-Hsing, Chen, Shui-Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thinh T
• Application Number:
  US10/205,520
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 257/355, 257/173, 257/174, 257/297, 257/365, 361/56, 361/111, 438/661
• US Class Current: 257/355
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0251 for MOS devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0292 using a specific configuration of the conducting means connecting the protective devices, e.g. ESD buses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

This invention provides two circuit embodiments for a whole chip electrostatic discharge, ESD, protection scheme. It also includes a method for whole chip ESD protection. This invention relates to distributing the circuit of this invention next to each input/output pad in order to provide parallel ESD current discharge paths. The advantage of this invention is the ability to create a parallel discharge path to ground in order to discharge the damaging ESD current quickly so as to avoid circuit damage. The two circuit embodiments show how the protection circuits of this invention at both the unzapped I/O pads and the zapped I/O pad are connected in a parallel circuit for discharging ESD currents quickly. These protection embodiments require a small amount of semiconductor area, since the smaller protection circuits are distributed and placed at the locations of each I/O pad.

Claims

1. A whole chip electrostatic discharge, ECD, first embodiment circuit comprising:

a PN diode whose p-side connects to the input/output, I/O pad to be protected and whose N-side is connected to Vcc supply voltage,

a PMOS FET plus NMOS FET 2-device input stage connected between Vcc and Vss,

a resistor plus NMOS FET first mid stage connected between Vcc and Vss (ground),

a resistor to ground second mid-stage, and

a PMOS FET plus NMOS FET output stage connected between Vcc and Vss (ground) whose input connects from the mid stages and whose output drives an unused I/O pad.

2. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein said input stage contains said PN diode whose P-side is connected to the l/O pad to be protected and whose N-side is connected to Vcc.

3. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein said input stage contains said p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor PMOS FET whose source is connected to Vcc and is common to the N-side of said PN diode, whose drain is connected in common with the p-side of said PN diode, and to the drain of said NMOS FET in the input stage, and whose gate is connected to said mid stage circuit.

4. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein said input stage contains said n-channel metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor NMOS FET whose source is connected to Vss or ground, whose drain is connected in common with said p-side of said PN diode and in common with said I/O pad to be protected and in common with said drain of said PMOS FET in said input stage, and whose gate is connected to said mid stage circuit.

5. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein said first mid-stage contains an NMOS FET whose source is connected to ground, whose drain is connected to said gate of said PMOS FET of said input stage and is connected to said resistor of this 1^st mid stage and is connected to said output stage.

6. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein said first mid-stage contains a resistor connected between said VCC power supply and said drain of said NMOS FET.

7. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein said second mid-stage contains a resistor connected between Vss or ground and between the gate of said NMOS FET in said first mid-stage, the gate of said NMOS FET of said first stage, and which is connected to the input of said output stage.

8. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein said output stage contains said PMOS FET whose source is connected to Vcc, whose drain is connected to an unzapped I/O pad, and to the drain of said NMOS FET in the output stage, and whose gate is connected to said gate of said PMOS FET in said input stage and connected to said drain of said NMOS FET in said input stage.

9. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein said output stage contains said NMOSFET whose source is connected to Vss or ground, whose drain is connected to an unzapped I/O pad and connected to said drain of said PMOS FET in said output stage and whose gate is connected to said NMOS FET of said input stage and to one side of said resistor in said 2^nd mid-stage and connected to said gate of said NMOS FET of said first mid-stage.

10. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein several said first embodiment circuits (one for each I/O pad) are tied in parallel between Vcc and ground, in order to sink large ESD charge and current.

11. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein a drain to source intrinsic capacitor, Cds, of said NMOS FET in said input stage is used to couple charge from said zapped I/O pad to said input to said output stage.

12. The whole chip ESD protection circuit of claim 1 wherein said charge coupled through said intrinsic capacitance, Cds, of said NMOS FET of said input stage charges up an intrinsic capacitance, Cgs, of said NMOS FET of said output stage.