The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 11, 2018
Filed:
Feb. 02, 2016
Nxp B.v., Eindhoven, NL;
Da-Wei Lai, Nijmegen, NL;
Dolphin Abessolo Bidzo, Nijmegen, NL;
NXP B.V., Eindhoven, NL;
Abstract
A semiconductor device and method. The device includes a first domain and a second domain each having a power rail and a ground rail. The device further includes a signal line connected between the first domain and the second domain. The device also includes an electrostatic discharge protection circuit for providing cross-domain ESD protection. The protection circuit includes a blocking transistor connected between the first domain power rail and the signal line. The protection circuit also includes a power rail clamp connected between the first domain power rail and the first domain ground rail. The power rail clamp is operable to apply a control signal to a gate of the blocking transistor to switch it on during normal operation and to switch it off during an ESD event. The power rail clamp is operable during the ESD event to conduct an ESD current.