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. 18, 2012
Filed:
Jun. 30, 2010
Wolfgang Soldner, Unterhaching, DE;
Gernot Langguth, Oberhaching, DE;
Christian Russ, Diedorf, DE;
Harald Gossner, Riemerling, DE;
Wolfgang Soldner, Unterhaching, DE;
Gernot Langguth, Oberhaching, DE;
Christian Russ, Diedorf, DE;
Harald Gossner, Riemerling, DE;
Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg, DE;
Abstract
Embodiments of this disclosure relate to electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection techniques. For example, some embodiments include a variable resistor that selectively shunts power of an incoming ESD pulse from a first circuit node to a second circuit node and away from a semiconductor device. A control voltage provided to the variable resistor causes the transistor to change between a fully-off mode where only sub-threshold current, if any, flows; a fully-on mode wherein a maximum amount of current flows; and an analog mode wherein an intermediate and time-varying amount of current flows. In particular, the analog mode allows the ESD protection device to shunt power more precisely than previously achievable, such that the ESD protection device can protect semiconductor devices from ESD pulses.