ESD Protection Semiconductor Device with Complementary Doped Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern semiconductor devices are vulnerable to electrostatic discharge (ESD) due to the transfer of electrostatic charges during manufacturing, testing, and packaging, which can damage internal circuits, and existing ESD protection devices have high trigger voltages and slow turn-on speeds, failing to provide immediate protection.
Innovation Solution
The ESD protection semiconductor device incorporates a substrate with a gate set, source and drain regions, and doped regions of complementary conductivity types, forming a diode or bipolar junction transistor (BJT) that reduces the threshold voltage and enhances turn-on speed by diverting ESD current to ground potential.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional ESD protection devices are used, then device robustness is maintained, but trigger voltage is high and turn-on speed is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces doped regions with complementary conductivity types (first and second conductivity types) into the semiconductor device structure. By changing the doping parameters and conductivity type distribution in specific regions, the trigger voltage is reduced and turn-on speed is improved while maintaining ESD protection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs intermediate structures such as doped regions and gate sets that act as mediators between the source/drain regions and the substrate. These intermediary elements facilitate faster charge transfer and lower the threshold voltage for ESD triggering, enabling quicker response without sacrificing robustness.
2Reliability
If conventional ESD protection devices are used, then device robustness is maintained, but trigger voltage is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the electrical parameters by introducing doped regions with complementary conductivity types. This changes the electric field distribution and charge carrier concentration, thereby reducing the threshold voltage from conventional high levels to lower levels that enable faster triggering while preserving device robustness through proper doping design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the semiconductor device into distinct functional regions with different doping characteristics. By dividing the device structure into source region, drain region, doped regions, and substrate with complementary conductivity types, each segment can be optimized independently to achieve both low threshold voltage and high robustness.
3Speed
If doped regions with complementary conductivity types are added, then threshold voltage is reduced and turn-on speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ESD protection function with the existing transistor structure by integrating doped regions directly into the source/drain architecture. Instead of adding separate protection circuits, the protective functionality is combined with the operational transistor structure, reducing overall device complexity while achieving faster turn-on speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The doped regions with complementary conductivity types serve multiple functions: they act as both the operational channel for normal device operation and the trigger mechanism for ESD protection. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate protection circuitry, thereby reducing device complexity while improving performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces the threshold voltage, improves turn-on speed, and increases ESD tolerance, preventing damage from ESD events while maintaining low leakage when the device is off, and can be integrated into various transistor architectures without increasing manufacturing complexity or cost.
Implementation Method 1
electrostatic charges are easily transferred to the inner circuits in the chip by those pads during processes such as manufacturing, testing, packaging, and delivering, etc. The electrostatic charges impact and damage the inner circuits in the chip, and this unwanted condition is named electrostatic discharge (ESD)
Data Source
AI summary
An ESD protection semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate set formed on the substrate, a source region and a drain region formed in the substrate respectively at two sides of the gate set, and at least a doped region formed in the source region. The source region and the drain region include a first conductivity type, and the doped region includes a second conductivity type complementary to the first conductivity type. The doped region is electrically connected to a ground potential.