ESD Protection Circuit with Shunt Pathway for Low Voltage Difference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits face difficulties in discharging a predetermined current when the difference between power supply voltage and breakdown voltage is small, making it challenging to protect against high voltage applications such as electrostatic discharge.
Innovation Solution
A protecting circuit and integrated circuit design that includes a discharge switch, a trigger circuit with power-consuming load devices, and a shunt circuit with a shunt pathway capable of bypassing load devices, allowing the discharge switch to turn on and the shunt pathway to connect when the voltage exceeds specific thresholds, enabling efficient current discharge even with small voltage differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional protecting circuit configurations are used with small voltage difference between power supply voltage and breakdown voltage, then the circuit structure is simple, but the ability to discharge predetermined current is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The protecting circuit is segmented into multiple functional modules: trigger circuit with series-connected load devices, discharge switch, and shunt circuit with parallel shunt pathways. This segmentation allows each module to perform specific functions independently, enabling reliable current discharge while maintaining manageable circuit complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit employs dynamic voltage threshold detection where the trigger circuit activates the discharge switch when voltage exceeds a first threshold, and the shunt circuit connects when voltage exceeds a second threshold. This dynamic response enables the circuit to adapt to varying voltage conditions and reliably discharge current even when the voltage difference between power supply and breakdown voltage is small.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the voltage difference between power supply voltage and breakdown voltage is small, then power supply efficiency is improved, but difficulty in discharging predetermined current increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the voltage threshold parameters by introducing two distinct thresholds: a first voltage value for activating the discharge switch and a second voltage value for connecting the shunt circuit. This parameter differentiation enables the circuit to reliably discharge predetermined current even when the overall voltage difference between power supply and breakdown voltage is small, while maintaining power supply efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If multiple load devices are connected in series in the trigger circuit, then voltage detection precision is improved, but the voltage range required for operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention resolves the voltage range constraint by introducing a temporal dimension through sequential activation. The discharge switch activates first at the lower first voltage threshold, and the shunt circuit connects later at the higher second voltage threshold. This multi-stage temporal activation allows precise voltage detection through series-connected load devices while operating within a compressed voltage range suitable for modern low-voltage circuits.
Data Source
AI summary
A protecting circuit includes a discharge switch, a trigger circuit, and a shunt circuit. The discharge switch is connected between a first terminal and a second terminal. The trigger circuit is connected to the discharge switch and comprises load devices, connected in series between the first terminal and the second terminal, and a first node between a first one and a second one of the load devices. The shunt circuit is connected to the trigger circuit at the first node, where the shunt circuit comprises a shunt switch and a shunt pathway that is connected between the first node and the shunt switch.