Patents by Inventor Koen Verhaege

Koen Verhaege has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Device having a low-voltage trigger element
    Patent number: 7763940
    Abstract: An electronic device having an LV-well element trigger structure that reduces the effective snapback trigger voltage in MOS drivers or ESD protection devices. A reduced triggering voltage facilitates multi-finger turn-on and thus uniform current flow and/or helps to avoid competitive triggering issues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Sofics BVBA
    Inventors: Markus Paul Josef Mergens, Bart Keppens, Koen Verhaege, John Armer, Cong Son Trinh
  • Electrostatic discharge protection structures for high speed technologies with mixed and ultra-low voltage supplies
    Publication number: 20070058307
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit in a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) having protected circuitry is provided herein. In one embodiment, a circuit for protecting an integrated circuit from ESD includes a protected circuit node in the integrated circuit, a multiple stage transistor pump circuit coupled to the protected circuit node, and an electrostatic discharge protection circuit having a trigger coupled to the multiple stage transistor pump circuit. The multiple stage transistor pump circuit may comprise a Darlington transistor pump circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Inventors: Markus Mergens, Cornelius Russ, John Armer, Koen Verhaege
  • Device having a low-voltage trigger element
    Publication number: 20060170054
    Abstract: An electronic device having an LV-well element trigger structure that reduces the effective snapback trigger voltage in MOS drivers or ESD protection devices. A reduced triggering voltage facilitates multi-finger turn-on and thus uniform current flow and/or helps to avoid competitive triggering issues.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventors: Markus Mergens, Bart Keppens, Koen Verhaege, John Armer, Cong Trinh
  • Method and apparatus for protecting a gate oxide using source/bulk pumping
    Publication number: 20050231866
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing ESD event protection for a circuit using a source or bulk pump to increase the bulk and/or source potential level during an ESD event. The apparatus comprises a protection circuit that, in response to an ESD event, limits the voltage formed between two terminals of a transistor by adjusting a potential level on the second terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Inventors: Markus Mergens, Frederic De Ranter, Benjamin Camp, Koen Verhaege, Phillip Jozwiak, John Armer, Bart Keppens
  • Silicon controlled rectifier electrostatic discharge protection device for power supply lines with powerdown mode of operation
    Publication number: 20050145947
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit in a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) having protected circuitry. The ESD protection circuit includes a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) having at least one first type high dopant region coupled to a first reference potential of the protected circuitry, and at least one second type high dopant region coupled to a second reference potential of the IC. The SCR is triggered by an external on-chip trigger device, which is adapted for injecting a trigger current into at least one gate of the SCR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2005
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Inventors: Cornelius Russ, Markus Mergens, John Armer, Koen Verhaege