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:
Feb. 11, 1997
Filed:
Jul. 13, 1995
Andrew H Olney, Burlington, MA (US);
Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, MA (US);
Abstract
An electrical overstress (EOS) protection circuit includes a pair of contra-directed diode-connected bipolar EOS transistors connected between two integrated circuit (IC) terminals. One of the EOS transistors has a reverse-biased junction and the other has a forward-biased junction when a voltage is applied across the IC terminals. A pair of parasitic bipolar transistors are formed in series to provide a current path between the EOS transistors. When the voltage difference between the IC terminals exceeds the breakdown voltage of the EOS transistor with a reverse-biased junction as during an electrostatic discharge event, the parasitic transistors activate the EOS transistor with a reverse-biased junction to divert ESD current from the IC.