一种用于继电保护的电源钳位静电放电电路

与消费类电子产品相比,用于继电保护的集成电路(IC)面临着更为严苛的静电放电(ESD)环境,需要高可靠性的电源钳位ESD电路,但这会给芯片带来较大的泄漏功耗.针对继电保护电路的ESD需求,提出了一种低漏电型电源钳位ESD电路,减小了ESD触发模块的电容,有效防止了继电保护下快速上电和高频噪声带来的误触发.利用电流镜结构获得大的等效ESD触发模块电容,保证了泄放晶体管的导通时间.利用钳位二极管技术,减小钳位电路触发模块的泄漏电流.基于标准65 nm CMOS工艺对电源钳位ESD电路进行了流片验证,测试结果表明,人体模型(HBM) ESD防护能力可达4 kV,泄漏电流为25.45 nA.     

基于130 nm SOI工艺数字ASIC ESD防护设计

绝缘体上硅(SOI)工艺具有寄生电容小、速度快和抗闩锁等优点,成为低功耗和高性能集成电路(IC)的首选.但SOI工艺IC更易受自加热效应(SHE)的影响,因此静电放电(ESD)防护设计成为一大技术难点.设计了一款基于130 nm部分耗尽型SOI (PD-SOI)工艺的数字专用IC (ASIC).针对SOI工艺ESD防护设计难点,进行了全芯片ESD防护原理分析,通过对ESD防护器件、I/O管脚ESD防护电路、电源钳位电路和ESD防护网络的优化设计,有效减小了SHE的影响.该电路通过了4.5 kV人体模型ESD测试,相比国内外同类电路有较大提高,可以为深亚微米SOI工艺IC ESD防护设计提供参考.     

聚积提升LED驱动芯片的ESD防护能力以提高客户产品质量

聚积科技的LED驱动芯片皆内建ESD防护架构,为了提升ESD防护能力,聚积所推出的新产品更由传统的HBM ESD 2kV提升四倍至HBM ESD 8kV以上,以保护电路,不但提高客户的产品质量,也兼而降低生产及维修成本。     

多电源混合电压SoC的全芯片ESD设计实例

SoC是含有微处理器、外围电路等的超大规模集成电路,具有器件特征尺寸小、复杂度高、面积大、数模混合等特点,SoC的ESD设计成为设计师面临的一个新的设计挑战。文章详细介绍了一个复杂的多电源、混合电压专用SoC芯片的全芯片ESD设计方案,并结合电路特点仔细分析了SoC芯片ESD设计的难点,提出了先工艺、再器件、再电路三个层次的分析思路,并将芯片ESD总体解决方案中的关键设计重点进行了逐一分析,最后给出了全芯片ESD防护架构的示意图。该SoC芯片基于0.35μm 2P4M Polycide混合信号CMOS工艺流片,采用文中提出的全芯片ESD防护架构,使该芯片的HBM ESD等级达到了4kV。     

基于SCR的双向ESD保护器件研究

可控硅整流器件(SCR)结构用于集成电路的静电放电(ESD)保护具有提高保护效率,减小芯片面积和降低寄生参数的优点.对基于SCR的双向ESD保护器件进行了研究;建立了一种ESD保护器件仿真设计平台,对该器件的结构、关键参数和性能进行了系统的仿真和优化.得到的改进器件不仅对ESD人体模型(HBM)的保护性能好,引入电路的寄生效应小,而且ESD保护的各关键性能参数也可以方便地进行调整.     

SiGe工艺中HBT结构ESD保护电路设计

为有效控制生产成本,减少工艺步骤,提出了在SiGe工艺中,用SiGe异质结双极型晶体管(HBT)代替传统二极管来实现静电放电(ESD)保护的方案。通过设计不同的HBT器件的版图结构,以及采取不同的端口连接方式,对HBT单体结构防护ESD的能力强弱和其寄生电容大小之间的关系进行了比较分析,并从中找出最优化的ESD解决方案。应用于实际电路中的验证结果表明,此方案在ESD防护能力达到人体模型(HBM)2 kV的基础上,I/O(IN/OUT输入输出)端口的寄生电容值可以做到200 fF以下,且此电容值还可通过HBT串联模式进一步降低。     

基于SCR结构的纳米工艺ESD防护器件研究

本文主要针对用于ESD防护的SCR结构进行了研究。通过对其ESD泄放能力和工作机理的研究,为纳米工艺下的IC设计提供ESD保护。本文的研究主要集中在两种常见的SCR上,低触发电压SCR(LVTSCR)与二极管辅助触发SCR(DTSCR)。本文也对以上两种SCR结构进行了改进,使得其能够在不同工作环境和相应电压域下达到相应的ESD防护等级。本文的测试与分析基于传输线脉冲测试仪(TLP)与TCAD仿真进行,通过对SCR中的正反馈工作机理的阐述,证明了SCR结构是一种新颖有效的ESD防护器件。     

0.18μm混合信号RFCMOS工艺中新型低触发电压双向SCR静电防护器件的设计

提出了一类新型片上SCR静电放电防护器件,此类器件用于保护芯片双向抗击静电应力.比较和分析了四种双向SCR器件的触发电压.其中采用嵌入pMOS管或nMOS管的双向SCR器件结构具有可调触发电压,低漏电流(～pA)和开启速度快的骤回Ⅰ-Ⅴ特性,并且没有闭锁问题.该器件的抗ESD能力可达～94V/μm.此类新型ESD防护器件具有面积小、寄生效应小的特点.     

一种改进型MLSCR-ESD结构设计分析

集成电路中半导体器件的特征尺寸不断减小,集成电路对ESD的冲击更加敏感。静电防护成为集成电路中最重要的可靠性指标之一,ESD保护结构也成为芯片设计中的难题。随着集成电路规模的增大,芯片引脚增多,大量面积被用于ESD保护电路,导致成本提高。可控硅结构的ESD保护器件相比其他已知保护结构具有最高的单位面积ESD性能,因此成为低成本片上ESD设计方案的首选。针对改进型横向SCR (MLSCR,又称N+桥式SCR)的ESD保护结构,对其关键特性指标结合理论分析与实验数据进行分析。基于某0.18μm 5 V CMOS工艺的流片结果,对SCR结构的工作原理以及关键的触发电压、保持电压参数进行说明,并提出改进方案。     

深亚微米CMOS电路多电源全芯片ESD技术研究

深亚微米CMOS电路具有器件特征尺寸小、复杂度高、面积大、数模混合等特点,电路全芯片ESD设计已经成为设计师面临的一个新的挑战。多电源CMOS电路全芯片ESD技术研究依据工艺、器件、电路三个层次进行,对芯片ESD设计关键点进行详细分析,制定了全芯片ESD设计方案与系统架构,该方案采用SMIC0.35μm 2P4M Polycide混合信号CMOS工艺流片验证,结果为电路HBM ESD等级达到4 500 V,表明该全芯片ESD方案具有良好的ESD防护能力。     

ESD protection design for I/O cells with embedded SCR structure as power-rail ESD clamp device in nanoscale CMOS technology

This paper presents a new electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection design for input/output (I/O) cells with embedded silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) structure as power-rail ESD clamp device in a 130-nm CMOS process. Two new embedded SCR structures without latchup danger are proposed to be placed between the input (or output) pMOS and nMOS devices of the I/O cells. Furthermore, the turn-on efficiency of embedded SCR can be significantly increased by substrate-triggered technique. Experimental results have verified that the human-body-model (HBM) ESD level of this new proposed I/O cells can be greater than 5 kV in a 130-nm fully salicided CMOS process. By including the efficient power-rail ESD clamp device into each I/O cell, whole-chip ESD protection scheme can be successfully achieved within a small silicon area of the I/O cell.     

A fully on-chip ESD protection UWB-band low noise amplifier using GaAs enhancement-mode dual-gate pHEMT technology

This paper presents the development of a novel ESD protected wideband low noise amplifier (LNA) using enhancement-mode (E-mode) pHEMT dual-gate clamps. The proposed novel clamp possesses a low on-state resistance, uniform parasitic capacitance, and flexibility to adjust the trigger voltage for different ESD applications. Implementation of the LNA demonstrates that RF performance can be maintained after human body mode (HBM) ESD test while at the same time endure more than +2.5 kV and −2 kV HBM ESD stress voltage. In addition, the incorporated clamps use a fewer number of diodes than the conventional diode stacks, thereby making it size efficient and low effort impedance matching co-design which allow this approach to be an attractive solution for ESD protection.     

ESD–RF co-design methodology for the state of the art RF-CMOS blocks

This paper describes an approach to design ESD protection for integrated low noise amplifier (LNA) circuits used in narrowband transceiver front-ends. The RF constraints on the implementation of ESD protection devices are relaxed by co-designing the RF and the ESD blocks, considering them as one single circuit to optimise. The method is applied for the design of 0.25 μm CMOS LNA. Circuit protection levels higher than 3 kV HBM stress are achieved using conventional highly capacitive ggNMOS snapback devices. The methodology can be extended to other RF-CMOS circuits requiring ESD protection by merging the ESD devices in the functionality of the corresponding matching blocks.     

Design of differential low-noise amplifier with cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme

The pin-to-pin electrostatic discharge (ESD) stress was one of the most critical ESD events for differential input pads. The pin-to-pin ESD issue for a differential low-noise amplifier (LNA) was studied in this work. A new ESD protection scheme for differential input pads, which was realized with cross-coupled silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR), was proposed to protect the differential LNA. The cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme was modified from the conventional double-diode ESD protection scheme without adding any extra device. The SCR path was established directly from one differential input pad to the other differential input pad in this cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme, so the pin-to-pin ESD robustness can be improved. The test circuits had been fabricated in a 130-nm CMOS process. Under pin-to-pin ESD stresses, the human-body-model (HBM) and machine-model (MM) ESD levels of the differential LNA with the cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme are >8 kV and 800 V, respectively. Experimental results had shown that the new proposed ESD protection scheme for the differential LNA can achieve excellent ESD robustness and good RF performances.     

A 0.8-dB NF ESD-Protected 9-mW CMOS LNA operating at 1.23 GHz [forGPS receiver]

In recent years, much research has been carried out on the possibility of using pure CMOS, rather than bipolar or BiCMOS technologies, for radio-frequency (RF) applications. An example of such an application is the Global Positioning System (GPS). One of the important bottlenecks to make the transition to pure CMOS is the immunity of the circuits against electrostatic discharge (ESD). This paper shows that it is possible to design a low-noise amplifier (LNA) with very good RF performance and sufficient ESD immunity by carefully co-designing both the LNA and ESD protection. This is demonstrated with a 0.8-dB noise figure LNA with an ESD protection of -1.4-0.6 kV human body model (HBM) with a power consumption of 9 mW. The circuit was designed as a standalone LNA for a 1.2276-GHz GPS receiver. It is implemented in a standard 0.25-μm 4M1P CMOS process     

A 5-GHz fully integrated ESD-protected low-noise amplifier in 90-nm RF CMOS

A fully integrated 5-GHz low-power ESD-protected low-noise amplifier (LNA), designed and fabricated in a 90-nm RF CMOS technology, is presented. This 9.7-mW LNA features a 13.3-dB power gain at 5.5 GHz with a noise figure of 2.9 dB, while maintaining an input return loss of -14 dB. An on-chip inductor, added as "plug-and-play," i.e., without altering the original LNA design, is used as ESD protection for the RF pins to achieve sufficient ESD protection. The LNA has an ESD protection level up to 1.4 A transmission line pulse (TLP) current, corresponding to 2-kV Human Body Model (HBM) stress. Experimental results show that only minor RF performance degradation is observed by adding the inductor as a bi-directional ESD protection device to the reference LNA.     

Design and Analysis for a 60-GHz Low-Noise Amplifier With RF ESD Protection

An RF electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for millimeter-wave (MMW) regime applied to a 60-GHz low-noise amplifier (LNA) in mixed-signal and RF purpose 0.13-$mu{hbox{m}}$ CMOS technology is demonstrated in this paper. The measured results show that this chip achieves a small signal gain of 20.4 dB and a noise figure (NF) of 8.7 dB at 60 GHz with 65-mW dc power consumption. Without ESD protection, the LNA exhibits a gain of 20.2 dB and an NF of 7.2 dB at 60 GHz. This ESD protection using an impedance isolation method to minimize the RF performance degradation sustains 6.5-kV voltage level of the human body model on the diode and 1.5 kV on the core circuit, which is much higher than that without ESD protection ( $≪$350 V). To our knowledge, this is the first CMOS LNA with RF ESD protection in the MMW regime and has the highest operation frequency reported to date.      

A plug-and-play wideband RF circuit ESD protection methodology: T-diodes

A novel “plug-and-play” ESD protection methodology for wideband RF applications is demonstrated. This methodology, referred to as T-diodes, utilizes an integrated transformer together with classical ESD protection diodes. The T-diodes act as an artificial transmission line that, when placed as a “plug-and-play” ESD protection component in front of an unprotected wideband LNA, preserves the input matching of that LNA. As a demonstrator, a wideband RF LNA in 0.18 μm CMOS is protected above 4.5 kV HBM ESD robustness without degrading its bandwidth.     

Cancellation technique to provide ESD protection for multi-GHz RF inputs

A technique to provide ESD protection for multi-GHz R-F inputs is presented. It provides protection against both human body model (HBM) and charged device model (CDM) type events with minimal effect on RE performance. A 5.25 GHz LNA protected by this means has a measured HBM ESD protection level of 3.6 kV.     

Whole-chip ESD protection design with efficient VDD-to-VSS ESDclamp circuits for submicron CMOS VLSI

A whole-chip ESD protection design with efficient VDD-to-VSS ESD clamp circuits is proposed to provide a real whole-chip ESD protection for submicron CMOS IC's without causing unexpected ESD damage in the internal circuits. The efficient VDD-to-VSS ESD clamp circuit has been designed to provide a low-impedance path between the VDD and VSS power lines of the IC during the ESD-stress condition, but this ESD clamp circuit is kept off when the IC is under its normal operating condition. Due to the parasitic resistance and capacitance along the VDD and VSS power lines, the ESD-protection efficiency is dependent on the pin location on a chip. Therefore, an experimental test chip has been designed and fabricated to build up a special ESD design rule for whole-chip ESD protection in a 0.8-μm CMOS technology. This whole-chip ESD protection design has been practically used to rescue a 0.8-μm CMOS IC product with a pin-to-pin HBM ESD level from the original level of 0.5 kV to become above 3 kV