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.

Date of Patent:
Jan. 09, 2024

Filed:

Sep. 24, 2021
Applicant:

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu, TW;

Inventors:

Tzu-Heng Chang, New Taipei, TW;

Hsin-Yu Chen, Hsinchu, TW;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H02H 9/04 (2006.01); H01L 27/02 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H02H 9/046 (2013.01); H01L 27/0248 (2013.01);
Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for fail-safe protection of circuitry from electrostatic discharge due through input and output connections. The power circuitry may include a string of diodes, connections to power lines, and particular diodes for voltage pull-up and pull-down clamping. There may be both a pull-up third diode in the diode string for connection between I/O and VDD and a pull-down third diode between I/O and VSS. During an ESD event the ESD device is configured to hold voltage from exceeding a threshold voltage and damaging internal circuitry. During operational mode the ESD device is turned off and does not interfere with circuit operations.


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