Complementary-SCR ESD protection circuit with interdigitated finger-type layout for input pads of submicron CMOS IC´s

Author

Ker, Ming-Dou ; Wu, Chung-Yu

Author_Institution

Inst. of Electron., Nat. Chiao Tung Univ., Hsinchu, Taiwan

Volume

42

Issue

7

fYear

1995

fDate

7/1/1995 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1297

Lastpage

1304

Abstract

A new ESD protection circuit with complementary SCR structures and junction diodes is proposed. This complementary-SCR ESD protection circuit with interdigitated finger-type layout has been successfully fabricated and verified in a 0.6 μm CMOS SRAM technology with the LDD process. The proposed ESD protection circuit can be free of VDD-to-VSS latchup under 5 V VDD operation by means of a base-emitter shorting method. To compensate for the degradation on latching capability of lateral SCR devices in the ESD protection circuit caused by the base-emitter shorting method, the p-well to p-well spacing of lateral BJT´s in the lateral SCR devices is reduced to lower its ESD-trigger voltage and to enhance turn-on speed of positive-feedback regeneration in the lateral SCR devices. This ESD protection circuit can perform at high ESD failure threshold in small layout areas, so it is very suitable for submicron CMOS VLSI/ULSI´s in high-pin-count or high-density applications

Keywords

CMOS integrated circuits; ULSI; VLSI; electrostatic discharge; integrated circuit layout; integrated circuit technology; protection; 0.6 micron; 5 V; CMOS SRAM technology; ESD protection circuit; LDD process; VDD-to-VSS latchup; base-emitter shorting method; complementary SCR structures; high ESD failure threshold; high-density applications; high-pin-count applications; input pads; interdigitated finger-type layout; junction diodes; lateral SCR devices; positive-feedback regeneration; submicron CMOS IC; submicron CMOS ULSI; submicron CMOS VLSI; CMOS process; CMOS technology; Circuits; Degradation; Diodes; Electrostatic discharge; Protection; Random access memory; Thyristors; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9383

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/16.391212

Filename

391212