Package including a plurality of stacked semiconductor devices having area efficient ESD protection

1. A multi-chip stack, including:

a plurality of stacked semiconductor devices including a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device;

the first semiconductor device is disposed between a plurality of electrical connections and the second semiconductor device;

the second semiconductor device includes a first circuit;

the first semiconductor device includes a first through via and a first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit electrically connected to a first one of the plurality of electrical connections, the first ESD protection circuit has a first ESD protection structure; and

the first through via provides an electrical connection through the first semiconductor device from a first surface to an opposite surface of the first semiconductor device and between the first one of the plurality of electrical connections and a first terminal of the first circuit wherein

the first terminal of the first circuit being free of an electrical connection to an ESD protection circuit having the first ESD protection structure formed on the second semiconductor device, and

the first semiconductor device includes a second circuit electrically connected to the first ESD protection circuit.

2. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , further including:

the plurality of stacked semiconductor devices includes a third semiconductor device between the first semiconductor device and second semiconductor device;

the third semiconductor device includes a third circuit; and

the first through via provides an electrical connection between the first one of the plurality of electrical connections and a terminal of the third circuit wherein the terminal of the third circuit being free of an electrical connection to an ESD protection circuit having the first ESD protection structure formed on the third semiconductor device.

3. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , further including:

the first semiconductor device includes a first wiring electrically connected between the first ESD protection circuit and the first one of the plurality of electrical connections wherein the first ESD protection structure is a semiconductor controlled rectifier structure coupled between the first wiring and a first reference potential.

4. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , further including:

the first semiconductor device includes a first wiring electrically connected between the first ESD protection circuit and the first one of the plurality of electrical connections wherein the first ESD protection structure includes a first insulated gate field effect transistor (IGFET) having a source/drain path coupled between the first wiring and a first reference potential and a control gate coupled to the first reference potential.

5. The multi-chip stack of claim 4 , wherein:

the first ESD protection structure includes a second IGFET having a source/drain path coupled between the first wiring and a power supply potential and a control gate coupled to the power supply potential.

6. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , further including:

the first semiconductor device includes a first wiring electrically connected between the first ESD protection circuit and the first one of the plurality of electrical connections wherein the first ESD protection structure includes a first diode coupled between the first wiring and a first reference potential.

7. The multi-chip stack of claim 6 , further includes:

the first ESD protection structure includes a second diode coupled between the first wiring and a power supply potential.

8. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , wherein:

the first circuit is an input buffer circuit receiving an input signal at the first terminal and providing an output signal at a second terminal.

9. The multi-chip stack of claim 8 , wherein:

the input buffer circuit is coupled to receive an input enable signal.

10. The multi-chip stack of claim 8 , wherein:

the input buffer includes a differential amplifier circuit having a first amplifier input terminal coupled to the first terminal and a second amplifier input terminal coupled to receive a reference potential.

11. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , wherein:

the first circuit is an output buffer circuit providing an output signal at the first terminal.

12. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , wherein:

the first circuit includes

an input buffer circuit receiving an input data signal at the first terminal, the input buffer circuit receives an input enable signal and provides the input data signal at a second terminal when the input enable signal has an input enable logic level; and

an output buffer circuit receiving an output data signal at a third terminal, the output buffer circuit receives an output enable signal and provides the output data signal to the first terminal when the output enable signal has an output enable logic level.

13. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , further including:

the second semiconductor device includes a third circuit and a second ESD protection circuit, the third circuit includes a second terminal electrically connected to the second ESD protection circuit; and

the first semiconductor device includes a second through via, the second through via provides an electrical connection through the first semiconductor device from the first surface to the opposite surface of the first semiconductor device and between a second one of the plurality of electrical connections and the second terminal of the third circuit.

14. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , further including:

an electrical interface connection formed between the second semiconductor device and the first semiconductor device and electrically connected between the first circuit and the first through via.

15. The multi-chip stack of claim 14 , wherein:

the electrical interface connection is a solder ball.

16. The multi-chip stack of claim 14 , wherein:

the electrical interface connection is a copper pillar.

17. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , further including:

an interposer disposed between the first semiconductor device and the plurality of electrical connections wherein the interposer includes a first interposer wiring providing an electrical connection between the first one of the plurality of electrical connections and the first through via.

18. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , further including:

the first circuit and the second circuit each include at least one insulated gate field effect transistor (IGFET).

19. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , wherein:

the first ESD protection structure includes

a first portion configured to provide a current path to a power supply node during an ESD event, and

a second portion configured to provide a current path to a reference node during an ESD event.

20. The multi-chip stack of claim 1 , further including:

the first semiconductor device further includes a second through via to a second one of the plurality of electrical connections;

the second semiconductor device further includes a third circuit and a second ESD protection circuit; and

the second through via provides an electrical connection through the first semiconductor device from the first surface to the opposite surface of the first semiconductor device and between the second one of the plurality of electrical connections and the second ESD protection circuit and a second terminal of the third circuit, the second through via being free of an electrical connection to any ESD protection circuit formed on the first semiconductor device.