Abstract: The present invention includes integrated circuitry, an interface circuit of an integrated circuit device, cascode circuitry, method of protecting an integrated circuit, method of operating integrated circuitry, and method of operating cascode circuitry. One aspect of the present invention provides integrated circuitry including a driver adapted to couple with a pad and internal circuitry of an integrated circuit device, the driver includes a first transistor coupled with the pad; cascode circuitry including a second transistor coupled with the pad and a third transistor coupled with ground, the cascode circuitry configured to remain in an untriggered state during the presence of stress currents at the pad; and protection circuitry intermediate the pad and ground and configured to shunt stress currents from the pad to ground.

Abstract: The present invention includes differential devices and methods of protecting a semiconductor device. One aspect of the present invention provides a differential device adapted to be coupled to a ground connection, the differential device comprising: a first interconnect; a second interconnect; a common diffusion region; a first MOS device coupled with the common diffusion region and the first interconnect; a second MOS device coupled with the common diffusion region and the second interconnect; and a tail MOS device coupled with the common diffusion region and adapted to be coupled to a ground connection.

Abstract: The present invention includes integrated circuitry, an interface circuit of an integrated circuit device, cascode circuitry, method of protecting an integrated circuit, method of operating integrated circuitry, and method of operating cascode circuitry. One aspect of the present invention provides integrated circuitry including a driver adapted to couple with a pad and internal circuitry of an integrated circuit device, the driver includes a first transistor coupled with the pad; cascode circuitry including a second transistor coupled with the pad and a third transistor coupled with ground, the cascode circuitry configured to remain in an untriggered state during the presence of stress currents at the pad; and protection circuitry intermediate the pad and ground and configured to shunt stress currents from the pad to ground.

Abstract: Protection circuits and methods of protecting a semiconductor device are provided. According to one aspect, the present invention provides a protection circuit adapted to be coupled to a ground connection, pad and power bus of a semiconductor device, the protection circuit includes electrically coupled first and second transistors adapted to be coupled between a pad and a ground connection, the first and second transistors having a common diffusion region coupling the first transistor with the second transistor in a cascode configuration, the first transistor having a gate adapted to be coupled to a power bus to receive a bias voltage, the power bus being substantially electrically isolated from the pad.

Abstract: The present invention includes differential devices and methods of protecting a semiconductor device. One aspect of the present invention provides a differential device adapted to be coupled to a ground connection, the differential device comprising: a first interconnect; a second interconnect; a common diffusion region; a first MOS device coupled with the common diffusion region and the first interconnect; a second MOS device coupled with the common diffusion region and the second interconnect; and a tail MOS device coupled with the common diffusion region and adapted to be coupled to a ground connection.