IP Library Patent Application 12385996
Patent Application
App. No. 12/385,996

Semiconductor device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
12/385,996
Abstract

In order to solve a problem in a conventional semiconductor device that improvement of resistance to electrostatic discharge damage or improvement of an area efficiency is severely restricted, there is provided a semiconductor device including: a first protection diode (DP) having an anode which is connected to a signal wire connected to an I/O pad (PAD), and having a cathode which is connected to a power supply wire (VDD); a power clamp circuit ( 10 ) connected between the power supply wire (VDD) and a ground wire (GND); a slot in which a set of the I/O pad (PAD) and the first protection diode (DP) is formed; and a power clamp circuit formation region in which the power clamp circuit ( 10 ) is formed, in which the power clamp circuit formation region has a side adjacent to a plurality of the slots, and has a width (W 2 ) larger than a width of the slot.

Claims (15)

1 . A semiconductor device, comprising:

a first protection diode having an anode which is connected to a signal wire connected to an input/output pad, and having a cathode which is connected to a power supply wire;

a power clamp circuit connected between the power supply wire and a ground wire;

a slot in which a set of the input/output pad and the first protection diode is formed; and

a power clamp circuit formation region in which the power clamp circuit is formed,

wherein the power clamp circuit formation region has a side adjacent to a plurality of the slots, and has a width larger than a width of the slot.

2 . A semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the first protection diode is arranged in a position closest to the power clamp circuit formation region in the slot.

3 . A semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the first protection diode is adjacent to another first protection diode provided in an adjacent slot of the plurality of the slots through a device isolation region.

4 . A semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the power clamp circuit comprises a power clamp transistor formed in a region surrounded by a guard ring region; and

the guard ring region has a width larger than the width of the slot.

5 . A semiconductor device according to claim 4 , further comprising a trigger circuit for controlling the power clamp transistor to be a conductive state when abnormality due to static electricity occurs in the input/output pad.

6 . A semiconductor device according to claim 4 , wherein the power clamp transistor has a control terminal connected to the ground wire.

7 . A semiconductor device according to claim 4 , wherein the power clamp transistor includes a MOS transistor.

8 . A semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second protection diode formed in the slot and connected between the signal wire and the ground wire.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 26, 2010
From: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025193/0183 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2009
From: MORISHITA, YASUYUKI
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022647/0035 →