Electrostatic discharge protection device and method therefore

Details Electrostatic discharge protection device and method therefore Electrostatic discharge protection device and method therefore

2007-01-16

2007-01-16

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2836)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Safety and protection of systems and devices

Load shunting by fault responsive means

C257S362000

Reexamination Certificate

active

10805119

ABSTRACT:
Methods and apparatus are provided an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having a first terminal and a second terminal. The ESD protection device comprises a vertical transistor having a collector coupled to the first terminal, a base, and an emitter coupled to the second terminal. A zener diode has a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the ESD protection device and a second terminal coupled to the base of the vertical transistor. Subsurface current paths are provided to redistribute current from a surface of the vertical transistor in an ESD event. The method comprises generating an ionization current when a zener diode breaks down during an ESD event. The ionization current density from a surface zener diode region is reduced. The ionization current enables a transistor to dissipate the ESD event.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4367509 (1983-01-01), Snyder et al.
patent: 6365462 (2002-04-01), Baliga
patent: 6804095 (2004-10-01), Kunz et al.
Julian Z. Chen et al., Design and Layout of a High ESD Performance NPN Structure for Submicron BiCMOS/Bipolar Circuits, 1996, p. 227-232.

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