Abstract: An ESD protection circuit with whole-chip ESD protection. A plurality of ESD protection devices, apart from an ESD detection circuit, can be MOS transistors connected between the input/output pads and the VDD/VSS lines or a power rail clamp circuit between the VDD and VSS lines. The ESD detection circuit is connected between the VDD and VSS lines. When an ESD event occurs and an ESD current is bypassed to the power line, the ESD detection circuit generates a plurality of enabling signals to simultaneously enable the ESD protection devices, which provides a plurality of discharge paths to bypass the ESD current.

Abstract: A bi-directional silicon controlled rectifier formed in a silicon layer and disposed over shallow trench isolations and therefore electrically isolated from the substrate to be insensitive to substrate noise for electrostatic discharge protection an electrostatic discharge protection device that includes a semiconductor substrate, including a first p-type portion, a first n-type portion contiguous with the first p-type portion, a second p-type portion contiguous with the first p-type portion and the first n-type portion, a second n-type portion, a third p-type portion, a third n-type portion contiguous with the third p-type portion, and a fourth p-type portion contiguous with the third p-type portion and the third n-type portion, wherein at least one of the first p-type portion, second p-type portion, third p-type portion, fourth p-type portion, first n-type portion, second n-type portion, and third n-type portion overlaps the isolation structure.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device that includes a semiconductor substrate, a well region formed inside the semiconductor substrate, a first isolation structure contiguous with the well region, a second isolation structure contiguous with well region and spaced apart from the first isolation structure, a dielectric layer disposed over the well region and the first and second isolation structures, and a layer of silicon, formed over the dielectric layer, including a first p-type portion, a first n-type portion contiguous with the first p-type portion, a second p-type portion, and a second n-type portion contiguous with the second p-type portion, wherein at least a portion of the first p-type and first n-type portions overlap the first isolation structure and at least a portion of the second p-type and second n-type portions overlap the second isolation structure.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device that includes a plurality of electrostatic discharge clamp circuits, variously coupled to VDD, VSS and transistor, having at least one bi-directional silicon diode that includes a first silicon diode and a second silicon diode, wherein an n-type portion of the first silicon diode is coupled to a p-type portion of the second silicon diode and a p-type portion of the first silicon diode is coupled to an n-type portion of the second silicon diode, responsive to either a positive electrostatic discharge or a negative electrostatic discharge to provide electrostatic discharge protection.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device that includes a semiconductor substrate, a well region formed inside the semiconductor substrate, a first isolation structure formed inside the well region, a second isolation structure formed inside the well region and spaced apart from the first isolation structure, a dielectric layer formed over the well region, and a layer of silicon, formed over the dielectric layer, including a p-type portion, an n-type portion and a center portion disposed between the p-type and n-type portions.

Abstract: An ESD protection circuit using a novel substrate-triggered lateral bipolar junction transistor (STLBJT) for providing a discharging path between power rails. The ESD protection circuit comprises an ESD detection circuit and a STLBJT device. The STLBJT device formed in a P-type substrate includes N-type collector and emitter regions coupled to the power rails, respectively. The substrate region between the collector and emitter regions, on which there is no field oxide device, serves as a base of the STLBJT device. The STLBJT device further includes a first P-type region coupled to the ESD detection circuit and a second P-type region coupled to one of the power rails, which are spatially separated from the collector/emitter regions, respectively. The STLBJT device is turned on by substrate-triggering responsive to the signal coming from the ESD detection circuit and establishes the discharging path between the power rails.

Abstract: A silicon-on-isolator CMOS integrated circuit device includes a semiconductor substrate, an isolation layer formed over the semiconductor substrate, an n-type MOS transistor having a gate, a drain region, and a source region formed over the isolation layer, and a p-type MOS transistor having a gate, a drain region, and a source region formed over the isolation layer and contiguous with the n-type MOS transistor, wherein the n-type MOS transistor and the p-type MOS transistor form a silicon controlled rectifier to provide electrostatic discharge protection.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device receiving signals from a signal pad that includes at least one silicon bipolar junction transistor responsive to the signals from the signal pad for providing electrostatic discharge protection, and a detection circuit for detecting the signals from the signal pad and providing a bias voltage to the at least one silicon bipolar junction transistor, wherein the at least one silicon bipolar junction transistor includes an emitter, collector and base formed in a single silicon layer and isolated from a substrate of the integrated circuit device, and wherein the base is coupled to the detection circuit to receive the bias voltage.

Abstract: A method for forming a lateral SCR device for on-chip ESD protection in shallow-trench-isolation CMOS process is provided. In the present lateral SCR device, the shallow trench isolation among the current conduction path of the lateral SCR device is removed and instead of a dummy gate. Thereby, the SCR device has a narrower anode-to-cathode spacing, and then the lateral SCR device can be turned on more quickly to protect the CMOS IC's in ESD events. Additionally, the silicon area of the substrate occupied by the lateral SCR device is also saved. This method for forming a lateral SCR device without shallow-trench-isolation regions in its current path can be fully process-compatible to general CMOS technologies by only changing layout patterns in the mask layers.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device that includes a semiconductor substrate, a well region formed inside the semiconductor substrate, a first isolation structure contiguous with the well region, a second isolation structure contiguous with well region and spaced apart from the first isolation structure, a dielectric layer disposed over the well region and the first and second isolation structures, and a layer of silicon, formed over the dielectric layer, including a first p-type portion, a first n-type portion contiguous with the first p-type portion, a second p-type portion, and a second n-type portion contiguous with the second p-type portion, wherein at least a portion of the first p-type and first n-type portions overlap the first isolation structure and at least a portion of the second p-type and second n-type portions overlap the second isolation structure.

Abstract: A method for forming a lateral SCR device for on-chip ESD protection in shallow-trench-isolation CMOS process is provided. In the present lateral SCR device, the shallow trench isolation among the current conduction path of the lateral SCR device is removed and instead of a dummy gate. Thereby, the SCR device has a narrower anode-to-cathode spacing, and then the lateral SCR device can be turned on more quickly to protect the CMOS IC's in ESD events. Additionally, the silicon area of the substrate occupied by the lateral SCR device is also saved. This method for forming a lateral SCR device without shallow-trench-isolation regions in its current path can be fully process-compatible to general CMOS technologies by only changing layout patterns in the mask layers.

Abstract: A structure and fabrication method using latch-up implantation to improve latch-up immunity in CMOS circuit. The impedance of parasitic SCR conducting path is raised by performing an ion-implantation process on a cathode and an anode of a parasitic SCR which may induce latch-up phenomenon. Thus, the parasitic SCR is thus not easily to be conducted with a higher resistance to noise. Therefore, the latch-up immunity can be improved. In addition, the ion implantation process can be performed to achieve the objective of preventing latch-up effect without consuming more area for layout, thus greatly enhances the flexibility in circuit design.

Abstract: A charged-device model (CDM) electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits such as input/output (I/O) circuits. A CDM ESD clamp device is disposed on an output buffer or an input stage of the CMOS circuit in order to clamp the CDM ESD overstress voltage across the gate oxide during a CDM ESD event. When applied to I/O circuits, a bi-directional diode string with multiple diodes is used in conjunction with the CDM ESD clamp device. During the CDM ESD event, CDM charges (CDM Q) originally stored in the common substrate are discharged through the desired CDM ESD clamp device so as to protect all functional devices in the input, output or I/O circuits, and effectively improve the CDM ESD level in integrated circuit (IC) products.

Abstract: A method for forming a lateral SCR device for on-chip ESD protection in shallow-trench-isolation CMOS process is provided. In the present lateral SCR device, the shallow trench isolation among the current conduction path of the lateral SCR device is removed and instead of a dummy gate. Thereby, the SCR device has a narrower anode-to-cathode spacing, and then the lateral SCR device can be turned on more quickly to protect the CMOS IC's in ESD events. Additionally, the silicon area of the substrate occupied by the lateral SCR device is also saved. This method for forming a lateral SCR device without shallow-trench-isolation regions in its current path can be fully process-compatible to general CMOS technologies by only changing layout patterns in the mask layers.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device that includes a semiconductor substrate, a well region formed inside the semiconductor substrate, a first isolation structure formed inside the well region, a second isolation structure formed inside the well region and spaced apart from the first isolation structure, a dielectric layer formed over the well region, and a layer of silicon, formed over the dielectric layer, including a p-type portion, an n-type portion and a center portion disposed between the p-type and n-type portions.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device that includes a semiconductor substrate, a well region formed inside the semiconductor substrate, a first isolation structure formed inside the well region, a second isolation structure formed inside the well region and spaced apart from the first isolation structure, a dielectric layer formed over the well region, and a layer of silicon, formed over the dielectric layer, including a p-type portion, an n-type portion and a center portion disposed between the p-type and n-type portions.

Abstract: A bonding pad structure to avoid probing damage applied to IC or PCB products comprises a first pad and at least one second pad. The first pad is coupled with the second pad. The first pad is used for wire bonding & packaging while the second pad is used for probing in IC function testing. Therefore, it avoids the probing damage of the first pad after the IC function testing and further increases the IC reliability while wire bonding & packaging.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device that includes a plurality of electrostatic discharge clamp circuits, variously coupled to VDD, VSS and transistor, having at least one bi-directional silicon diode that includes a first silicon diode and a second silicon diode, wherein an n-type portion of the first silicon diode is coupled to a p-type portion of the second silicon diode and a p-type portion of the first silicon diode is coupled to an n-type portion of the second silicon diode, responsive to either a positive electrostatic discharge or a negative electrostatic discharge to provide electrostatic discharge protection.