ESD Protection Semiconductor Device with Bipolar Junction Transistor Structure
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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 voltage thresholds, requiring a solution with lower trigger voltage and improved robustness.
Innovation Solution
The ESD protection semiconductor device incorporates a self-triggered structure with doped regions of complementary conductivity types, forming npn bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) that bypass ESD currents, reducing the threshold voltage and enhancing turn-on speed and robustness while being integrable into various transistor approaches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional ESD protection devices are used, then device robustness is maintained, but trigger voltage threshold is high and turn-on speed is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The ESD protection device is segmented into multiple functional regions including a first doped region, second doped region, third doped region, and fourth doped region with alternating conductivity types. This segmentation creates multiple pn junctions that form bipolar junction transistors, enabling the device to trigger at lower voltages while maintaining robustness through the distributed structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the ESD protection device are doped with different conductivity types (first conductivity type and second conductivity type) to create localized electrical properties. The first and second doped regions form a bipolar junction transistor structure with specific local qualities that enable low-voltage triggering, while other regions maintain higher breakdown voltages for robustness.
2Reliability
If conventional ESD protection devices are used, then device robustness is maintained, but turn-on speed is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The device structure is divided into multiple doped regions (first, second, third, and fourth doped regions) with alternating conductivity types arranged in sequence. This segmentation creates bipolar junction transistors that can rapidly respond to ESD events through the inherent fast switching characteristics of BJT structures, improving turn-on speed while maintaining robustness through the multi-region design.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If lower trigger voltage is achieved, then ESD protection responsiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ESD protection device merges multiple doped regions (first, second, third, and fourth doped regions) into a single integrated structure that forms bipolar junction transistors. This merging approach achieves low-voltage triggering through the combined effect of the doped regions while avoiding the complexity of separate discrete components, as all regions are formed in a continuous semiconductor substrate.
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 without leakage when the device is turned off, and can be integrated into various semiconductor manufacturing processes without increasing complexity or cost.
Implementation Method 1
The first doped region formed in the source region and the second doped region formed in the drain region construct a self-triggered structure... forming npn bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) that bypass ESD currents
Implementation Method 2
The source region, the drain region and the second doped region include a first conductivity type while the first doped region includes a second conductivity type... the first conductivity type and the second conductivity type are complementary to each other
Data Source
AI summary
An ESD protection semiconductor device includes a substrate. A gate set disposed on the substrate. A plurality of source fins and a plurality of drain fins having a first conductivity type are disposed in the substrate respectively at two sides of the gate set. A first doped fin is disposed in the substrate and positioned in between the source fins and spaced apart from the source fins. The first doped fin comprises a second conductivity type that is complementary to the first conductivity type. A second doped fin is formed in one of the drain fins and isolated from the one of the drain fins by an isolation structure. The second doped fin is electrically connected to the first doped fin.