SCR device for ESD protection in sub-micron triple well silicided CMOS processes

A high-holding-low-trigger-voltage-silicon-controlled-rectifier (HHLVTSCR) is fabricated in a sub-micron triple well CMOS technology in complementary nand p-types. The HHLVTSCRs occupy less area than typical electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection devices and the corresponding I-V characteristics are adjustable to different protection requirements. The characteristics of these devices are tuned by the appropriate choice of the internal dimensions and device interconnections. Both n- and p-type devices are characterized using the transmission line pulse (TLP) technique. Comparisons between n- and p-type devices show that n-type devices perform better than p-type devices for low holding voltages (V_H), but for relatively high holding voltages the p-type devices show better characteristics. Results demonstrate that ESD protection capabilities in n- and p-type devices are adequate for the design of multiple IC´s ESD protection schemes with very low leakage current and without latchup concerns.