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:
Sep. 22, 2009
Filed:
Mar. 28, 2007
David C. Burdeaux, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Daniel J. Lamey, Phoenix, AZ (US);
David C. Burdeaux, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Daniel J. Lamey, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
An ESD protection circuit () includes an ESD device () and an isolation diode element (). The ESD device includes a drain-source junction isolated ESD transistor (). The isolation diode element is coupled in series with the ESD device and configured for providing ESD protection to a transistor device () needing ESD protection. Responsive to −Vgs conditions on a gate of the protected transistor device, the series coupled isolation diode element prevents a forward biasing of the drain-source junction of the ESD transistor prior to a breakdown condition of the isolation diode element. In addition, responsive to an ESD event sufficient to cause damage to the protected transistor device, the series coupled isolation diode element permits an occurrence of the breakdown condition. Furthermore, the ESD protection circuit can operate in both (i) a polarity of normal operation of the protected device and (ii) an opposite polarity other than in normal operation of the protected device.