Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation

Chien-Wei Wang

Shao-Chang Huang

Li-Fan Chen

Chun-Chih Chen

Kai-Chieh Hsu

Ching-Ho Li

Gong-Kai Lin

Yeh-Ning Jou

Chih-Hsuan Lin

Hwa-Chyi Chiou

Jung-Tsun Chuang

A driving circuit includes a detection circuit, a control circuit, and a power device. The detection circuit is coupled between first and second power terminals. The detection circuit generates a detection voltage at a detection node based on a first voltage of the first power terminal and a second voltage of the second power terminal. The control circuit includes a transistor device with a back-to-back connection structure that is coupled between a bonding pad and a first node and controlled by the detection voltage to generate a driving voltage at the first node for controlling the power device. In response to an electrostatic discharge event occurring on the bonding pad, the transistor device is turned on according to the detection voltage, and the power device is triggered by the driving voltage to provide a discharge path between the bonding pad and the second power terminal.

Driving circuit

A trigger circuit coupled between an input-output pad and a core circuit and including an adjustment circuit and a protection circuit is provided. The adjustment circuit adjusts the voltage of the input-output pad to generate an output voltage. The protection circuit is coupled between the adjustment circuit and the core circuit and receives a system enable signal. In response to the system enable signal being disabled or an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event occurring on the input-output pad, the protection circuit disables the core circuit according to the output voltage. In response to the system enable signal being enabled, the protection circuit stops disabling the core circuit.

Trigger circuit and operating circuit

A level shifter includes a level shifting circuit and a voltage tracking circuit. The level shifting circuit receives an input signal through an input terminal and converts the input signal from a first power domain to a second power domain to generate an output signal at an output terminal. The voltage tracking circuit is coupled to first and second voltage terminals, and tracks one with a lower level among voltages of the first and second voltage terminals to generate a control voltage. The level shifting circuit includes first and second N-type transistors. The first N-type transistor has a gate coupled to the input terminal, a drain coupled to a first node, and a source coupled to a ground. The second N-type transistor has a gate receiving the control voltage, a drain coupled to the output terminal at a second node, and a source coupled to the input terminal.

Level shifter

A voltage tracking circuit is provided. The voltage tracking circuit includes first and second P-type transistors and a control circuit. The drain of the first P-type transistor is coupled to a first voltage terminal. The gate and the drain of the second P-type transistor are respectively coupled to the first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal. The control circuit is coupled to the first and second voltage terminals and generates a control voltage according to the first voltage and the second voltage. The sources of the first and second P-type transistors are coupled to an output terminal of the voltage tracking circuit, and the output voltage is generated at the output terminal. In response to the second voltage being higher than the first voltage, the control circuit generates the control signal to turn off the first P-type transistor.

Voltage tracking circuits with low power consumption and electronic circuits using the same

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Taoyuan, Taiwan

Chien-Wei Wang