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:
Jun. 03, 2008
Filed:
Sep. 14, 2005
Applicants:
Myron Miske, Newfields, NH (US);
David Morrill, Scarborough, ME (US);
Inventors:
Myron Miske, Newfields, NH (US);
David Morrill, Scarborough, ME (US);
Assignee:
Other;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H02H 3/22 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract
An ESD protection circuit for an input/output pad of an IC is disclosed with discharge paths to both a power rail and ground. The ESD circuit is arranged with NMOS and PMOS transistors arranged with their drains connected to the pad. However, the drain capacitances have voltage sensitivities that compensate or cancel each other, and with proper sizing the capacitance load on the pad can be made substantially constant over a given voltage range. By providing a discharge path to a power rail, the ESD circuit may be designed to be more tolerant of overvoltages on the power rail.