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A new electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device, called quad-silicon controlled rectifier (QSCR), is proposed and verified in a 0.25- \mu \textm CMOS process. The QSCR is designed to be used as ESD protection between separated power domains. Since the QSCR embeds four SCRs between its four terminals, no extra ESD clamps are needed to protect the interface circuits between two separated power domains. Implementations with different circuit topologies were also analyzed to achieve a comprehensive ESD protection design for different applications. From the experimental results, the QSCR can withstand 8-kV HBM and 600-V MM ESD stresses with a silicon area of 75 \mu \text m \times 100~\mu \textm . [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A resistor-less power-rail electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamp circuit realized with only thin-gate-oxide devices and with a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) as the main ESD clamp device has been proposed and verified in a 65-nm CMOS process. By skillfully utilizing the gate leakage current to realize the equivalent resistor in the ESD-transient detection circuit, the RC-based ESD detection mechanism can be achieved without using an actual resistor to significantly reduce the layout area in I/O cells. From the measured results, the new proposed power-rail ESD clamp circuit with an SCR width of 45 \mu\m can achieve 5-kV human-body-model and 400-V machine-model ESD levels under the ESD stress event while consuming only a standby leakage current of 1.43 nA at room temperature under the normal circuit operating condition with 1-V bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultralow-leakage power-rail electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamp circuit realized with only thin gate oxide devices and with silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) as the main ESD clamp device has been proposed and verified in a 65-nm CMOS process. By reducing the voltage difference across the gate oxide of the devices in the ESD detection circuit, the proposed power-rail ESD clamp circuit can achieve an ultralow standby leakage current. In addition, the ESD-transient detection circuit can be totally embedded in the SCR device by modifying the layout structure. From the measured results, the proposed power-rail ESD clamp circuit with an SCR width of 45 \mu\m can achieve 7-kV human-body-model and 350-V machine-model ESD levels under the ESD stress event while consuming only a standby leakage current in the order of nanoamperes at room temperature under the normal circuit operating condition with 1-V bias. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Discusses a study which fabricated light-triggered eight-kilovolts thyristors with an integrated breakover diode. Design considerations for amplifying gate structure; Experimental details of the study; Determination of the doping profiles; Values for the minimum light power necessary to turn on the thyristor.