National Semiconductor Corporation

Abdul R Ahmed

Boonmi Mekdhanasarn

Steven Ichikawa

Randy Hsiao-Yu Lo

Steve M Ichikawa

An ESD structure is created on an integrated circuit by providing a conductive polymer material between a signal line and a supply node or ground reference. The conductive polymer material becomes conductive when an electric field of sufficient intensity is applied. In one embodiment, the concentration of conductive particles of the conductive polymer material is empirically determined so that the resulting film becomes conducting at a predetermined threshold voltage. The conductive polymer is applied in liquid form on the wafer surface using a silk-screen printing process or a spin-on process and then cured. The conductive polymer layer can be adapted for use in multilevel metallization systems.

Integrated ESD protection method and system

Described is a circuit board having protection against electrostatic discharge. The board includes a plurality of interconnect traces and an electrically conductive ground plane formed on a substrate such that a gap is created between the interconnect traces and the ground plane. A resistive electrostatic discharge protection material is positioned to bridge the gaps between the ground plane and the interconnect traces, such that the electrostatic discharge protection material electrically insulates the interconnect traces from the ground plane at voltages below a predefined threshold voltage and establishes an electrical connection between the interconnect traces and the conductive plane at voltages above the threshold voltage. A process of manufacturing the circuit board includes forming interconnect traces and a ground plane such that there is a gap between the ground plane and the interconnect traces. A resistive electrostatic discharge protection material is placed in the gap between the ground plane and the traces for protection against electrostatic discharge. A package including the above described circuit board and a process of manufacturing such a package are also disclosed herein.

Growing community of inventors

Morgan Hill, CA, United States of America

Abdul R Ahmed