ESD Protection Circuit Time-Extended Discharging Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can cause permanent damage to electronic components and integrated circuits during manufacturing, packaging, testing, and transportation, and existing protection methods may not ensure complete discharge within the required time frame.
Innovation Solution
An electrostatic discharge protection circuit with a time-extended discharging mechanism, comprising a RC circuit, an inverter, a switch transistor, and a discharging transistor, where the switch transistor extends the on-time of the discharging transistor after a predetermined voltage transition, ensuring prolonged discharge activity at the ESD input terminal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a conventional discharge circuit is used, then the discharge process is simple and fast, but the discharge duration is insufficient to protect against ESD damage
Solution Approach 1:
The RC circuit performs preliminary action by maintaining the input control terminal in a low state for a predetermined time after ESD detection, which delays the activation of the discharge transistor and extends the effective discharge duration. This preliminary timing control ensures the discharge mechanism remains active long enough to prevent ESD damage without requiring complex additional components.
2Reliability
If the discharge transistor is activated immediately, then the response speed is fast, but the discharge time is too short to ensure complete ESD protection
Solution Approach 1:
The RC circuit acts as an intermediary timing mechanism between the ESD detection and the discharge transistor activation. It introduces a predetermined time delay that extends the discharge duration, ensuring reliable ESD protection. The inverter circuit serves as another intermediary that controls the timing sequence, mediating between the RC circuit output and the discharge transistor gate to achieve the required discharge time extension.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses an electrostatic discharge protection circuit having time-extended discharging mechanism. A RC circuit is coupled between an ESD input terminal that receives an ESD input and a ground terminal and includes an input control terminal. An inverter includes a P-type transistor coupled between the ESD input terminal and an output control terminal and an N-type transistor circuit including N-type transistors coupled in series and between the output control terminal and a ground terminal, wherein two of the N-type transistors has an internal connection terminal. Gates of the P-type transistor and N-type transistors are controlled by the input control terminal. A switch transistor is coupled between the ESD input terminal and the internal connection terminal. A discharging transistor is coupled between the ESD input terminal and the ground terminal. The gates of the switch transistor and the discharging transistor are controlled by the output control terminal.