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:
Dec. 26, 2006
Filed:
Mar. 29, 2004
Yi-hsun Wu, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Jian-hsing Lee, Hsin-chu, TW;
Yi-Hsun Wu, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Jian-Hsing Lee, Hsin-chu, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Abstract
An input and output (I/O) circuit with an improved ESD protection is disclosed. The circuit has an output buffer having an NMOS transistor coupled to a PMOS transistor, an ESD protection circuit having a parasitic silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) integrated therein and coupled to the output buffer, and a diode string having a predetermined number of diodes coupled between a source node of the NMOS transistor and ground, wherein a voltage drop across the diode string increases the SCR gate holding voltage, thereby setting an ESD protection holding voltage for the ESD protection circuit.