Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080253044 | Electrostatic protection circuit - An electrostatic protection circuit that affords protection without effecting transfer of an ordinary output signal includes an output terminal; a ground terminal; a first N-channel transistor having its drain and source connected between the output terminal and the ground terminal GND; a first electrostatic protection element connecting the output terminal and the ground terminal; and a second electrostatic protection element connected the drain and gate of the first N-channel transistor. The second N-channel transistor is connected to the gate of the first N-channel transistor. The gate potential of the first N-channel transistor rises and the gate-to-drain voltage of the first N-channel transistor is limited to a value below a prescribed value by a current that flows into the second electrostatic protection element owing to application of static electricity to the output terminal, and resistance of the second N-channel transistor, which is the ON state, as seen from the gate of the first N-channel transistor. | 10-16-2008 |
20080285190 | Electrostatic protection circuit - Electrostatic protection is performed without affecting the transfer of a normal input signal. An electrostatic protection circuit includes an input terminal, aground terminal, an Nch transistor whose gate and source are coupled to the input terminal and the ground terminal, respectively, and an electrostatic protection element connected to a drain and coupled to the gate of the Nch transistor. A discharge current flows into the ground terminal through the electrostatic protection element when an electrostatic discharge is applied to the input terminal. The discharge current flows through a drain-source parasitic resistance in the Nch transistor because the Nch transistor is turned on caused by an applied voltage of the electrostatic discharge to the gate. This leads to an increase in an electric potential at Point B (channel potential) of the Nch transistor. | 11-20-2008 |
20090122452 | Semiconductor integrated circuit - A semiconductor integrated circuit includes: an output pad from which an output signal is outputted; an output signal line connected with the output pad; a first pad configured to function as a ground terminal or a power supply terminal; a first wiring connected with the first pad; an output driver connected with the output pad and configured to generate the output signal; an ESD protection device connected with the output signal line and having a function to discharge surge applied to the output pad; and a first trigger MOS transistor used as a trigger device. The output driver includes: a first protection target device connected between the output signal line and the first interconnection; and a first resistance element connected between the first protection target device and the first interconnection. The first trigger MOS transistor configured to detect a voltage generated in the first resistance element by a gate of the first trigger MOS transistor and to allow the ESD protection device operate in response to the detected voltage. | 05-14-2009 |
20110019319 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device has: a power supply line; a ground line; a signal line for transmitting a signal; a signal pad connected to the signal line; a protection element connected between the signal line and the ground line; and a trigger circuit configured to supply a trigger current to the protection element. The trigger circuit has: a PMOS transistor whose gate and backgate are connected to the power supply line and whose source is connected to the protection element; and an amplifier circuit part configured to amplify a first current flowing through the PMOS transistor to generate a second current. The trigger current includes the second current. | 01-27-2011 |
20110022376 | ESD ANALYSIS DEVICE AND ESD ANALYSIS PROGRAM USED FOR DESIGNING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD OF DESIGNING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - An ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) analysis device includes: a circuit simulation unit; a border cell extraction unit; and a check unit. The circuit simulation unit executes a circuit simulation of design data of a semiconductor integrated circuit including a plurality of circuits of a plurality of power supply systems, to calculate potentials in a plurality of current paths between pads of different two of the plurality of power supply systems, when one of an ESD current and an ESD voltage is applied between the pads. The border cell extraction unit extracts border cells from circuits of the different two of the plurality of power supply systems, wherein the circuits are included in the plurality of circuits, the border cells input and/or output signals between the circuits. The check unit checks an ESD tolerance by calculating a potential difference between the border cells, based on the calculated potentials, the extracted border cells. | 01-27-2011 |
20110049632 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device capable of dissipating heat, which has been produced in an ESD protection element, to the exterior of the device rapidly and efficiently includes an ESD protection element having a drain region, a source region and a gate electrode, and a thermal diffusion portion. The thermal diffusion portion, which has been formed on the drain region, has a metal layer electrically connected to a pad, and contacts connecting the drain region and metal layer. The metal layer has a first wiring trace extending along the gate electrode, and second wiring traces intersecting the first wiring trace perpendicularly. The contacts are connected to intersections between the first wiring trace and the second wiring traces. Heat that has been produced at a pn-junction of the ESD protection element and transferred through a contact is diffused simultaneously in three directions through the first wiring trace and second wiring trace in the metal layer and is released into the pad. | 03-03-2011 |
20110049672 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device has: a signal pad; a power supply line; a ground line; an inductor section whose one end is connected to the signal pad; a terminating resistor connected between the other end of the inductor section and the power supply line or the ground line. The semiconductor device further has: a first ESD protection element connected to a first node in the inductor section; and a second ESD protection element connected to a second node whose position is different from that of the first node in the inductor section. | 03-03-2011 |
20110084342 | SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE - Latchup is prevented from occurring accompanying increasingly finer geometries of a chip. NchMOSFET N | 04-14-2011 |
20110090609 | Electrostatic protection circuit - An electrostatic protection circuit includes a first terminal, a second terminal, an input circuit which includes a Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) transistor including a gate, a source, and a drain, the gate as an input terminal being coupled to the first terminal, the source being coupled to the second terminal, an electrostatic protection element connected to the drain, the electrostatic protection element including a first electrostatic protection element, and a second electrostatic protection element connected between the first terminal and the second terminal. | 04-21-2011 |
20110133282 | Semiconductor device - A semiconductor device includes a power supply line supplied with a power supply voltage; a power supply node connected with the power supply line; a ground line; a ground pad connected with the ground line; a signal input pad; a main protection circuit section configured to discharge an ESD surge applied to a first pad as one of the power supply node, the signal input pad and the ground pad to a second pad as another thereof; a protection object circuit; a connection node connected with the protection object circuit; a first resistance element connected between the signal input pad and the connection node; and a sub protection circuit section. The sub protection circuit section includes a least one of a first PMOS transistor having a source connected with the connection node, a drain connected with the ground line and a gate and a back gate connected with the power supply line, and a first NMOS transistor having a source connected with the connection node, a drain connected with the power supply line and a gate and a back gate connected with the ground line. | 06-09-2011 |
20110180874 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - It is desired to effectively suppress breaking of a protection target circuit caused by direct application of an ESD surge voltage to the circuit. The semiconductor device includes: a VDD pad; a signal output pad; a GND pad; a high-potential power source line; a signal line; a low-potential power source line; main ESD protection elements; a PMOS transistor; and an output circuit. The output circuit includes: an NMOS transistor N | 07-28-2011 |
20110205673 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING ELECTROSTATIC PROTECTION CIRCUIT - A semiconductor device includes: a first power source (PS | 08-25-2011 |
20120243134 | SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - A semiconductor integrated circuit including an output pad from which an output signal is outputted, an output signal line connected with said output pad, a first pad configured to function as a ground terminal or a power supply terminal, a first wiring connected with said first pad, an output driver connected with said output pad and configured to generate said output signal, an ESD protection device connected with a output signal line and having a function to discharge surge applied to said output pad, a first trigger MOS transistor used as a trigger device, a first protection target device connected between said output signal line and a first interconnection, a first resistance element connected between a gate and a source of said first trigger MOS transistor, and a switching device. | 09-27-2012 |
20120281324 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device has: a power supply line; a ground line; a signal line for transmitting a signal; a signal pad connected to the signal line; a protection element connected between the signal line and the ground line; and a trigger circuit configured to supply a trigger current to the protection element. The trigger circuit has: a PMOS transistor whose gate and backgate are connected to the power supply line and whose source is connected to the protection element; and an amplifier circuit part configured to amplify a first current flowing through the PMOS transistor to generate a second current. The trigger current includes the second current. | 11-08-2012 |
20130001697 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device includes a signal input pad, a protection object circuit, a first connection node connected with the protection object circuit, a first resistance element connected between the signal input pad and the first connection node, a first protection circuit section arranged between a power supply line or a ground line and a second connection node between the signal input pad and the first resistance element, and a second protection circuit section. The second protection circuit section includes at least one of a first PMOS transistor having a source connected with the first connection node, a drain connected with the ground line and a gate and a back gate connected with the power supply line, and a first NMOS transistor having a source connected with said first connection node, a drain connected with the power supply line and a gate and a back gate connected with the ground line. | 01-03-2013 |
20130062697 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device capable of dissipating heat, which has been produced in an ESD protection element, to the exterior of the device rapidly and efficiently includes an ESD protection element having a drain region, a source region and a gate electrode, and a thermal diffusion portion. The thermal diffusion portion, which has been formed on the drain region, has a metal layer electrically connected to a pad, and contacts connecting the drain region and metal layer. The metal layer has a first wiring trace extending along the gate electrode, and second wiring traces intersecting the first wiring trace perpendicularly. The contacts are connected to intersections between the first wiring trace and the second wiring traces. Heat that has been produced at a pn-junction of the ESD protection element and transferred through a contact is diffused simultaneously in three directions through the first wiring trace and second wiring trace in the metal layer and is released into the pad. | 03-14-2013 |
20130147011 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device has: a signal pad; a power supply line; a ground line; an inductor section whose one end is connected to the signal pad; a terminating resistor connected between the other end of the inductor section and the power supply line or the ground line. The semiconductor device further has: a first ESD protection element connected to a first node in the inductor section; and a second ESD protection element connected to a second node whose position is different from that of the first node in the inductor section. | 06-13-2013 |