Electrostatic Discharge Protection Layout for High-Voltage Robustness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ESD protection devices face challenges in enhancing overall ESD robustness, particularly for Automotive Grade applications and high-voltage scenarios, where optimizing the safe ESD Design Window is crucial to prevent malfunction or breakdown of electronic devices.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design incorporating specific conductivity types and regions, including a buried floating p-doped conductivity region, collector, emitter, and isolation regions, optimized through varying distances and doping concentrations to enhance breakdown voltage and failure current, thereby improving ESD robustness and reducing on-resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional ESD protection device structures are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but ESD robustness and failure current are insufficient for Automotive Grade high-voltage applications
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into multiple functional regions including a first region with collector and fifth regions, a second region with drift regions, a third region with emitter and sixth regions, and a fourth region with isolation regions. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized for specific functions (high voltage blocking, ESD discharge, isolation) thereby achieving Automotive Grade ESD robustness while managing complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nested region structures where the fifth region is disposed in the third region, the sixth region is disposed in the fourth region, and the seventh region is disposed in the fifth region. These nested configurations create deep vertical ESD current discharge paths that enhance failure current and ESD robustness for high-voltage applications
2Area of stationary object
If region distances are reduced to improve area efficiency, then device area is minimized, but breakdown voltage and ESD protection capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different doping concentrations to different regions: the fifth region has a first doping concentration, the sixth region has a second doping concentration, and the seventh region has a third doping concentration that is higher than both first and second concentrations. This local quality variation allows optimized ESD performance and breakdown voltage while maintaining compact device area
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates deep vertical ESD current discharge paths by disposing regions at different depths and positions (fifth region in third region, sixth region in fourth region, seventh region in fifth region). This vertical dimensionality provides long ESD discharge paths without increasing lateral device area, achieving both area efficiency and high breakdown voltage
3Reliability
If doping concentrations are increased to enhance ESD protection, then ESD robustness is improved, but manufacturing complexity and process difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise doping concentration relationships: fifth region has first doping concentration, sixth region has second doping concentration, and seventh region has third doping concentration higher than both first and second. These parameter specifications enable systematic manufacturing control and consistent ESD performance while simplifying the doping process through clear parameter hierarchies
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 device achieves higher normalized failure current and scalable trigger voltage, meeting Automotive Grade HV ESD protection requirements, with a stage-by-stage turn-on mechanism and broad U-shaped deep vertical ESD current discharge path, ensuring robustness and area-efficient high voltage ESD solution.
Implementation Method 1
a seventh region disposed in the fifth region and coupled to the collector region, wherein the seventh region is spaced apart from the first isolation region
Implementation Method 2
An ESD protection device protects a functional circuit from an electrostatic discharge, in order to prevent a malfunction or breakdown of a victim electronic device
Implementation Method 3
optimized through varying distances and doping concentrations to enhance breakdown voltage and failure current
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes a first region, a second region disposed on the first region, a third region and a fourth region abutting the third region disposed in the second region, a fifth region disposed in the third region and coupled to a collector disposed above, and a sixth region disposed in the fourth region and coupled to an emitter disposed above. A first isolation is disposed between the collector and the emitter. A seventh region is disposed in the fifth region and coupled to the collector is spaced apart from the first isolation. The first region, the third region, the fifth region, the collector and the emitter have a first conductivity type different from a second conductivity type that the second region, the fourth region, the sixth region and the seventh region have.