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. 12, 2012
Filed:
Jan. 04, 2010
Harry Gee, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Wenjiang Zeng, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Jeffrey C. Dunnihoo, Bertram, TX (US);
Harry Gee, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Wenjiang Zeng, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Jeffrey C. Dunnihoo, Bertram, TX (US);
Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Abstract
A semiconductor device is described that includes one or more electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuits. Each circuit comprises reverse-biased steering diodes connected in series between power rail and signal ground, a bypass Zener diode and a substrate Zener diode. The Zener diodes provide ESD protection and the steering diode cooperate with the substrate Zener diode to provide a bypass function that is substantially symmetric about the signal ground. Noise in the circuit can be shunted using internal and/or external capacitances that can be implemented as Zener diodes.