Design And Characterization Of System Level Electrostatic Discharge Esd Protection Solutions

To enable predicting the ESD performance of IC's pins that are directly exposed to a system-level stress condition, a new the human metal model (HMM) test model has been introduced. In this work, a new testing methodology for product-level HMM characterization is introduced. This testing framework allows for consistently identifying ESD-induced failures in a product, substantially simplifying the testing process, and significantly reducing the product evaluation time during development cycle. It helps eliminates the potential inaccuracy provided by the conventional characterization methodology. For verification purposes, this method has been applied to detect the failures of two different products. Addition to the exploration of new characterization methodology that provides better accuracy, we also have looked into the protection devices itself. ICs for emerging high performance precision data acquisition and transceivers in industrial, automotive and wireless infrastructure applications require effective and ESD protection solutions. These circuits, with relatively high operating voltages at the Input/Output (I/O) pins, are increasingly being designed in low voltage Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technologies to meet the requirements of low cost and large scale integration. A new dual-polarity SCR optimized for high bidirectional blocking voltages, high trigger current and low capacitance is realized in a sub 3-V, 180-nm CMOS process. This ESD device is designed for a specific application where the operating voltage at the I/O is larger than that of the core circuit. For instance, protecting high voltage swing I/Os in CMOS data acquisition system (DAS) applications.

This book addresses key aspects of analog integrated circuits and systems design related to system level electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. It is an invaluable reference for anyone developing systems-on-chip (SoC) and systems-on-package (SoP), integrated with system-level ESD protection. The book focuses on both the design of semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) components with embedded, on-chip system level protection and IC-system co-design. The readers will be enabled to bring the system level ESD protection solutions to the level of integrated circuits, thereby reducing or completely eliminating the need for additional, discrete components on the printed circuit board (PCB) and meeting system-level ESD requirements. The authors take a systematic approach, based on IC-system ESD protection co-design. A detailed description of the available IC-level ESD testing methods is provided, together with a discussion of the correlation between IC-level and system-level ESD testing methods. The IC-level ESD protection design is demonstrated with representative case studies which are analyzed with various numerical simulations and ESD testing. The overall methodology for IC-system ESD co-design is presented as a step-by-step procedure that involves both ESD testing and numerical simulations.

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is a significant hazard to electronic components and systems. Based on a specific processing technology, a given circuit application requires a customized ESD consideration that includes the devices' operating voltage, leakage current, breakdown constraints, and footprint. As new technology nodes mature every 3-5 years, design of effective ESD protection solutions has become more and more challenging due to the narrowed design window, elevated electric field and current density, as well as new failure mechanisms that are not well understood. The endeavor of this research is to develop novel, effective and robust ESD protection solutions for both emerging technologies and modern complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technologies. The Si nanowire field-effect transistors are projected by the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors as promising next-generation CMOS devices due to their superior DC and RF performances, as well as ease of fabrication in existing Silicon processing. Aiming at proposing ESD protection solutions for nanowire based circuits, the dimension parameters, fabrication process, and layout dependency of such devices under Human Body Mode (HBM) ESD stresses are studied experimentally in company with failure analysis revealing the failure mechanism induced by ESD. The findings, including design methodologies, failure mechanism, and technology comparisons should provide practical knowhow of the development of ESD protection schemes for the nanowire based integrated circuits. Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are the basic elements for the emerging flexible, printable, large-area, and low-cost organic electronic circuits. Although there are plentiful studies focusing on the DC stress induced reliability degradation, the operation mechanism of OTFTs subject to ESD is not yet available in the literature and are urgently needed before the organic technology can be pushed into consumer market. In this work, the ESD operation mechanism of OTFT depending on gate biasing condition and dimension parameters are investigated by extensive characterization and thorough evaluation. The device degradation evolution and failure mechanism under ESD are also investigated by specially designed experiments. In addition to the exploration of ESD protection solutions in emerging technologies, efforts have also been placed in the design and analysis of a major ESD protection device, diode-triggered-silicon-controlled-rectifier (DTSCR), in modern CMOS technology (90nm bulk). On the one hand, a new type DTSCR having bi-directional conduction capability, optimized design window, high HBM robustness and low parasitic capacitance are developed utilizing the combination of a bi-directional silicon-controlled-rectifier and bi-directional diode strings. On the other hand, the HBM and Charged Device Mode (CDM) ESD robustness of DTSCRs using four typical layout topologies are compared and analyzed in terms of trigger voltage, holding voltage, failure current density, turn-on time, and overshoot voltage. The advantages and drawbacks of each layout are summarized and those offering the best overall performance are suggested at the end.

An effective and cost efficient protection of electronic system against ESD stress pulses specified by IEC 61000-4-2 is paramount for any system design. This pioneering book presents the collective knowledge of system designers and system testing experts and state-of-the-art techniques for achieving efficient system-level ESD protection, with minimum impact on the system performance. All categories of system failures ranging from 'hard' to 'soft' types are considered to review simulation and tool applications that can be used. The principal focus of System Level ESD Co-Design is defining and establishing the importance of co-design efforts from both IC supplier and system builder perspectives. ESD designers often face challenges in meeting customers' system-level ESD requirements and, therefore, a clear understanding of the techniques presented here will facilitate effective simulation approaches leading to better solutions without compromising system performance. With contributions from Robert Ashton, Jeffrey Dunnihoo, Micheal Hopkins, Pratik Maheshwari, David Pomerenke, Wolfgang Reinprecht, and Matti Usumaki, readers benefit from hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge in topics ranging from ESD design and the physics of system ESD phenomena to tools and techniques to address soft failures and strategies to design ESD-robust systems that include mobile and automotive applications. The first dedicated resource to system-level ESD co-design, this is an essential reference for industry ESD designers, system builders, IC suppliers and customers and also Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Key features: Clarifies the concept of system level ESD protection. Introduces a co-design approach for ESD robust systems. Details soft and hard ESD fail mechanisms. Detailed protection strategies for both mobile and automotive applications. Explains simulation tools and methodology for system level ESD co-design and overviews available test methods and standards. Highlights economic benefits of system ESD co-design.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is one of the most prevalent threats to electronic components. In an ESD event, a finite amount of charge is transferred from one object (i.e., human body) to another (i.e., microchip). This process can result in a very high current passing through the microchip within a very short period of time. Thus, more than 35 percent of single-event chip damages can be attributed to ESD events, and designing ESD structures to protect integrated circuits against the ESD stresses is a high priority in the semiconductor industry. Electrostatic Discharge Protection: Advances and Applications delivers timely coverage of component- and system-level ESD protection for semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. Bringing together contributions from internationally respected researchers and engineers with expertise in ESD design, optimization, modeling, simulation, and characterization, this book bridges the gap between theory and practice to offer valuable insight into the state of the art of ESD protection. Amply illustrated with tables, figures, and case studies, the text: Instills a deeper understanding of ESD events and ESD protection design principles Examines vital processes including Si CMOS, Si BCD, Si SOI, and GaN technologies Addresses important aspects pertinent to the modeling and simulation of ESD protection solutions Electrostatic Discharge Protection: Advances and Applications provides a single source for cutting-edge information vital to the research and development of effective, robust ESD protection solutions for semiconductor devices and integrated circuits.

Electrostatic Discharge is a pervasive issue in the semiconductor industry affecting both manufacturers and users of semiconductors. This easy-to-read, practical handbook presents an overview of ESD as it effects electronic circuits and provides a concise introduction for students, engineers, circuit designers and failure analysts.

This book enables readers to design effective ESD protection solutions for all mainstream RF fabrication processes (GaAs pHEMT, SiGe HBT, CMOS). The new techniques introduced by the authors have much higher protection levels and much lower parasitic effects than those of existing ESD protection devices. The authors describe in detail the ESD phenomenon, as well as ESD protection fundamentals, standards, test equipment, and basic design strategies. Readers will benefit from realistic case studies of ESD protection for RFICs and will learn to increase significantly modern RFICs’ ESD safety level, while maximizing RF performance.

ESD: Circuits and Devices 2nd Edition provides a clear picture of layout and design of digital, analog, radio frequency (RF) and power applications for protection from electrostatic discharge (ESD), electrical overstress (EOS), and latchup phenomena from a generalist perspective and design synthesis practices providing optimum solutions in advanced technologies. New features in the 2nd edition: Expanded treatment of ESD and analog design of passive devices of resistors, capacitors, inductors, and active devices of diodes, bipolar junction transistors, MOSFETs, and FINFETs. Increased focus on ESD power clamps for power rails for CMOS, Bipolar, and BiCMOS. Co-synthesizing of semiconductor chip architecture and floor planning with ESD design practices for analog, and mixed signal applications Illustrates the influence of analog design practices on ESD design circuitry, from integration, synthesis and layout, to symmetry, matching, inter-digitation, and common centroid techniques. Increased emphasis on system-level testing conforming to IEC 61000-4-2 and IEC 61000-4-5. Improved coverage of low-capacitance ESD, scaling of devices and oxide scaling challenges. ESD: Circuits and Devices 2nd Edition is an essential reference to ESD, circuit & semiconductor engineers and quality, reliability &analysis engineers. It is also useful for graduate and undergraduate students in electrical engineering, semiconductor sciences, microelectronics and IC design.

This dissertation presents a comprehensive design methodology for implementing custom on-chip ESD protection structures in different commercial technologies. First, the ESD topic in the semiconductor industry is revised, as well as ESD standards and commonly used schemes to provide ESD protection in ICs. The general ESD protection approaches are illustrated and discussed using different types of protection components and the concept of the ESD design window.