Granted Patent B2

US 8,390,971 · App. 13/063,189 · Granted Mar 5, 2013

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A planar discharge structure for an overvoltage and/or overcurrent protection for an IC, in particular for an ESD protection for an IC, comprising:

at least two discharge paths provided to conduct a current to a terminal, wherein substantially all of the discharge paths present substantially the same resistance for the current,

wherein the geometrical distance between opposite ends of the respective discharge paths is not the same.

2. Structure as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the length and the conductivity per length of each of the discharge paths is substantially the same.

3. Structure as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the length and the conductivity per length of at least a first one of the discharge paths is different from at least a second one of the discharge paths.

4. Structure as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the conductivity per length of the first one of the discharge paths being adapted with respect to the second one of the discharge paths, so that a difference between the length of the first and the second discharge path is compensated.

5. Structure as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the conductivity per length of the first one of the discharge path being adapted with respect to the second one of the discharge paths by using a different path width for at least one of the different paths.

6. Structure as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein at least one resistor is added to and/or integrated in at least one of the discharge paths to gain the desired resistance of the respective discharge path.

7. ESD protection device for an IC, comprising:

an ESD protection circuit and at least one discharge structure according to claim 1 .

8. Device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one discharge structure is connected to a downstream side of the ESD protection device.

9. Device as claimed in claim 8 , comprising:

at least two discharge structures, whereas the first discharge structure is connected to a downstream end of the ESD protection circuit, and a second discharge structure is connected to an upstream end of the ESD protection circuit.

10. Device as claimed in claim 8 ,

wherein the ESD protection circuit is provided in a shape selected from the following:

a substantially circular area;

in the shape of a substantially closed loop; or

a substantially closed ring;

wherein on an upstream side of the ESD protection circuit there is selected from the following:

a substantially circular discharge loop;

a substantially closed discharge loop;

a substantially adapted form in the shape of the ESD protection circuit, and

wherein, the upstream side of the ESD protection circuit is connectable to a terminal lug connectable to the IC which is to be protected.

11. Device as claimed in claim 10 ,

wherein the shape of the terminal lug is substantially concentric to the shape of the ESD protection circuit and/or the upstream discharge structure.

12. PCB comprising a discharge structure as claimed in claim 1 .

13. Electronic device, comprising the PCB as claimed in claim 12 .

14. Method for making a discharge structure, the discharge structure according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

providing at least two discharge paths being able to conduct a current to a terminal, and

ensuring that substantially all of the discharge paths present substantially the same resistance for the current.

15. Method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:

manipulating at least one of the discharge paths, by providing said discharge path in an at least one-time folded manner and/or by using at least one resistor being added to and/or integrated in the discharge path, so that the resistance of each of the discharge paths is substantially the same even if the geometrical distance between opposite ends of the respective discharge paths is not the same.

Assignments (12)