ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PROTECTION FOR EMBEDDED-SENSOR SYSTEMS-ON-A-CHIP

摘要

The robustness of Embedded-Sensor (ES) System-on-a-Chip (SoC) applications involves several unique design constraints. For example, space-efficient Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection for the CMOS devices must be provided during the sensor micromachining processes in addition to the protection provided during normal operation and handling. In this paper, reliable and space-optimized on-chip ESD protection structures are demonstrated for MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS)-based ES-SoCs. This ESD protection solution involves design of novel thyristor-type devices implemented in the standard CMOS technology. Transmission Line Pulsing (TLP) measurements are presented to illustrate the thyristor-type device feasibility for I/O pads and internal sensing film electrodes ESD protection without latch-up problem.