Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Nuvoton Technology Corporation

Yu-Ti Su

Wun-Jie Lin

Jen-Chou Tseng

Ming-Fu Tsai

Li-Wei Chu

Jam-Wem Lee

Kuo-Ji Chen

Ming-Hsiang Song

Po-Lin Peng

Chia-Wei Hsu

Han-Jen Yang

Bo-Ting Chen

Chia-Lin Hsu

Tzu-Heng Chang

Wan-Yen Lin

Yu-Der Chih

Shao-Yu Chou

Min-Chang Liang

Sun-Jay Chang

Chen-Ming Hung

Shu-Chuan Lee

Chien-Yao Huang

Hui-Zhong Zhuang

Ting-Wei Chiang

Stefan Rusu

Wen-Hao Chen

Chi-Yu Lu

David Barry Scott

Jerry Chang Jui Kao

Pin-Dai Sue

Chia-Jung Chang

Wei-Hsiang Ma

Jiun-Jia Huang

Po-Chia Lai

Shui-Ming Cheng

Rabiul Islam

Shu-Yi Ying

Hsiang-Hui Cheng

Chien Yao Huang

Shu-Yu Su

Kuan-Te Li

Kai-Ping Huang

Tzu-Cheng Kao

Chung-Ti Hsu

Ken-Hao Fan

Tsung-Che Tsai

Yu-Ying Hsu

Yu-Hung Yeh

Shu-Yu Chen

Che-Hung Chen

Shu-Ming Cheng

An IC device includes first and second CMOS structures positioned in n-type doped regions of a substrate, the first CMOS structure including a common gate terminal, first NMOS body and source contacts, and first PMOS body and source contacts, the second CMOS structure including a common drain terminal, second NMOS body and source contacts, and second PMOS body and source contacts. The IC device includes a first electrical connection from the common drain terminal to the common gate terminal, a clamp device including a diode, a second electrical connection from a cathode of the diode to the first PMOS body and source contacts, and a third electrical connection from an anode of the of the diode to the first NMOS body and source contacts, and entireties of each of the second and third electrical connections are positioned between the substrate and a third metal layer of the IC device.

Integrated circuit protection device and method

A circuit device includes core circuitry. The circuit device further includes a first plurality of guard rings having a first dopant type, wherein the first plurality of guard rings is around a periphery of the core circuitry. The circuit device further includes a second plurality of guard rings having a second dopant type, wherein the second dopant type is opposite to the first dopant type, and at least one guard ring of the second plurality of guard rings is around a periphery of at least one guard ring of the first plurality of guard rings.

Guard ring and circuit device

An IC device includes a first power terminal, an IO pad, a first ESD protection device coupled between the first power terminal and IO pad, a first trigger current source device coupled between the first power terminal and IO pad, and a semiconductor substrate over which the first ESD protection device and first trigger current source device are formed. The first ESD protection device includes a parasitic BJT having a collector and an emitter coupled between the IO pad and first power terminal, and a base coupled via a substrate resistance to a well tap coupled to the first power terminal. The first trigger current source device, in response to an ESD voltage on the IO pad, becomes conductive and causes discharge of the ESD voltage through the first ESD protection device to the first power terminal.

Integrated circuit device and method for ESD protection

An integrated circuit design method includes receiving an integrated circuit design, and determining a floor plan for the integrated circuit design. The floor plan includes an arrangement of a plurality of functional cells and a plurality of tap cells. Potential latchup locations in the floor plan are determined, and the arrangement of at least one of the functional cells or the tap cells is modified based on the determined potential latchup locations.

Method and system for latch-up prevention

A snapback electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit includes a first well in a substrate, a drain region of a transistor, a source region of the transistor, a gate region of the transistor, and a second well embedded in the first well. The first well has a first dopant type. The drain region is in the first well, and has a second dopant type different from the first dopant type. The source region is in the first well, has the second dopant type, and is separated from the drain region in a first direction. The gate region is over the first well and the substrate. The second well is embedded in the first well, and is adjacent to a portion of the drain region. The second well has the second dopant type.

Snapback electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit, system and method of forming the same

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit includes a first ESD detection circuit, a first discharging circuit and a first ESD assist circuit. The first ESD detection circuit is coupled between a first node having a first voltage and a second node having a second voltage. The first discharging circuit includes a first transistor. The first transistor has a first gate, a first drain, a first source and a first body terminal. The first gate is coupled to the first ESD detection circuit by a third node. The first drain is coupled to the first node. The first source and the first body terminal are coupled together at the second node. The first ESD assist circuit is coupled between the second and third node, and configured to clamp a third voltage of the third node at the second voltage during an ESD event at the first or second node.

Electrostatic discharge circuit and method of operating same

Capacitor cells are provided. A first PMOS transistor is coupled between a power supply and a first node, and has a gate directly connected to a second node. A first NMOS transistor is coupled between a ground and the second node, and has a gate directly connected to the first node. A second PMOS transistor is coupled between the second node and the power supply, and has a gate directly connected to the second node. A second NMOS transistor is coupled between the first node and the ground, and has a gate directly connected to the first node. Sources of the first and second NMOS transistors share an N+ doped region in the P-type well region. The first NMOS transistor is disposed between the second NMOS transistor and the first and second PMOS transistors. Source of the first PMOS transistor is directly connected to the power supply.

Capacitor cell and structure thereof

A method of making a semiconductor device includes manufacturing doped zones in a first semiconductor material over a substrate. The method further includes forming an isolation structure between adjacent doped zones of the first semiconductor material. The method further includes manufacturing lines extending in a first direction over the doped zones of the first semiconductor material, wherein each of the lines has a line width measured along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The method further includes trimming the lines into line segments having ends over the isolation structure. The method further includes etching a transistor gate electrode over the substrate, wherein transistor gate electrode has a gate electrode width measured along the second direction, and wherein the line width is substantially similar to the gate electrode width.

Method of making semiconductor device electrostatic discharge diode

An integrated circuit includes a diode string, a first transistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor. The diode string is coupled between a first reference voltage pin and an input/output (I/O) pad. A first terminal of the second transistor is coupled to a first node, and a gate terminal of the second transistor is coupled to a second reference voltage pin. In response to a voltage at the first terminal of the second transistor being higher than a voltage at the gate terminal of the second transistor, the second transistor is configured to turn on the third transistor, and the third transistor is configured to transmit a voltage received from the first reference voltage pin to a gate terminal of the first transistor.

Integrated circuit with electrostatic discharge protection

A device is disclosed herein. The device includes a bias generator, an ESD driver, and a logic circuit. The bias generator includes a first transistor. The ESD driver includes a second transistor and a third transistor coupled to each other in series. The logic circuit is configured to generate a logic control signal. When the first transistor is turned on by a detection signal, the first transistor is turned off.

Device and method for operating the same

A circuit includes a first transistor, a second type-one transistor, a first type-two transistor, a third type-one transistor, a fourth type-one transistor, and a fifth type-one transistor. The first type-one transistor has a gate configured to have a first supply voltage of a first power supply. The first type-two transistor has a gate configured to have a second supply voltage of the first power supply. The third type-one transistor has a first active-region conductively connected with an active-region of the first type-one transistor. Third type-one transistor has a second active-region and a gate conductively connected to each other. The fifth type-one transistor has a first active-region conductively connected with the gate of the third type-one transistor and has a second active-region configured to have a first supply voltage of a second power supply. The fifth type-one transistor is configured to be at a conducting state.

Isolation circuit between power domains

The present disclosure describes a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device. The MOSFET device includes a first-type substrate, a deep-second-type well in the first-type substrate, a first-type well over the deep-second-type well, and a second-type well over the deep-second-type well. The second-type well and the deep-second-type well form an enclosed space that includes the first-type well. The MOSFET also includes an embedded semiconductor region (ESR) in a vicinity of the enclosed space. The ESR includes a dopant concentration lower than at least one of a dopant concentration of the first-type well, a dopant concentration of the second-type well, and a dopant concentration of the deep-second-type well.

Embedded semiconductor region for latch-up susceptibility improvement

A semiconductor device includes a first diode, a second diode, a clamp circuit and a third diode. The first diode is coupled between an input/output (I/O) pad and a first voltage terminal. The second diode is coupled with the first diode, the I/O pad and a second voltage terminal. The clamp circuit is coupled between the first voltage terminal and the second voltage terminal. The second diode and the clamp circuit are configured to direct a first part of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) current flowing between the I/O pad and the first voltage terminal. The third diode, coupled to the first voltage terminal, and the second diode include a first semiconductor structure configured to direct a second part of the ESD current flowing between the I/O pad and the first voltage terminal.

Semiconductor device having multiple electrostatic discharge (ESD) paths

In some embodiments, a semiconductor device is provided, including a first doped region of a first conductivity type configured as a first terminal of a first diode, a second doped region of a second conductivity type configured as a second terminal of the first diode, wherein the first and second doped regions are coupled to a first voltage terminal; a first well of the first conductivity type surrounding the first and second doped regions in a layout view; a third doped region of the first conductivity type configured as a first terminal, coupled to an input/output pad, of a second diode; and a second well of the second conductivity type surrounding the third doped region in the layout view. The second and third doped regions, the first well, and the second well are configured as a first electrostatic discharge path between the I/O pad and the first voltage terminal.

An ESD power clamp device includes an ESD detection circuit; a controlling circuit coupled with the ESD detection circuit; a field effect transistor (FET) coupled with the controlling circuit, and an impedance element coupled with the FET. The FET includes a drain terminal coupled with a first supply node; a gate terminal coupled with the controlling circuit; a source terminal coupled with a second supply node via the impedance element; and a bulk terminal coupled with second supply node.

Power clamp

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Tainan, Taiwan

Yu-Ti Su