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.

Date of Patent:
Jul. 19, 2011

Filed:

Jul. 25, 2006
Applicant:

Philip S. NG, Cupertino, CA (US);

Inventor:

Philip S. Ng, Cupertino, CA (US);

Assignee:

Atmel Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H03K 19/0175 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract

Capacitive node isolation circuitry in an integrated circuit eliminates the creation of hot spots (stored charge) on high capacitive nodes during a test of electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuitry of the integrated circuit or during any ESD event occurring while the integrated circuit is in a standby mode. The isolation circuitry includes a standby mode logic circuit responsive to a standby mode signal received at one of its inputs and provides an output signal to a gate of an active switching device located in a path between an external pin of the integrated circuit and the internal high capacitive node. The output signal keeps the active switching device turned off for the duration of the ESD test or ESD event. The standby mode logic circuit transparently passes an input logic signal to the active switching device whenever the integrated circuit is in a normal operating mode.


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