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:
Oct. 26, 2004
Filed:
Oct. 09, 2002
Applicant:
Inventors:
Chun-Hsiang Lai, Taichung, TW;
Meng-Huang Liu, Hsinchu, TW;
Shin Su, Banchiau, TW;
Tao-Cheng Lu, Kaohsiung, TW;
Assignee:
Macronix International Co., Ltd., Hsinchu, TW;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H02H 3/20 ; H02H 3/22 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H02H 3/20 ; H02H 3/22 ;
Abstract
A gate-equivalent-potential circuit and method for an I/O pad ESD protection arrangement including used and unused MOS fingers connected to the I/O pad comprises a switch connected between the gates of the MOS fingers, an ESD detector connected to the switch to turn on the switch upon an ESD event and a gate-modulated circuit connected to the gate of the unused finger to couple a voltage thereto to reduce the triggering voltage of the transistors within the fingers.