IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,224,280
Granted Patent B2
US 12,224,280 · App. 17/376,112 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Electrostatic discharge protection circuit including a pulse detection circuit

Inventor: Qian Xu (Hefei, CN)
Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
H01L27/0266H01L27/0288H02H9/045H03K17/08104
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,224,280
App. No.
17/376,112
Granted
Feb 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electrostatic discharge protection circuit includes: a pulse detection unit, a delay unit, a control unit, and a discharge unit. The pulse detection unit is configured to detect an electrostatic pulse signal; the delay unit is configured to delay or enhance driving capability of the pulse detection signal output by the pulse detection unit; the control unit is configured to generate a control signal based on a first delay signal and a second delay signal output by the delay unit; and the discharge unit is configured to open or close an electrostatic charge discharge passage based on the control signal output by the control unit.

Claims (24)

1. An electrostatic discharge protection circuit, comprising:

a pulse detection circuit, configured to detect an electrostatic pulse signal, the pulse detection circuit having a first end connected to a first voltage, a second end connected to a second voltage, and a third end configured to output a pulse detection signal;

a delay circuit, configured to delay or enhance driving capability of the pulse detection signal, the delay circuit having a first end connected to the first voltage, a second end connected to the second voltage, a third end connected to the third end of the pulse detection circuit, a fourth end configured to output a first delay signal, and a fifth end configured to output a second delay signal;

a control circuit, configured to generate a control signal based on the first delay signal and the second delay signal, the control circuit having a first end connected to the first voltage, a second end connected to the second voltage, a third end connected to the fifth end of the delay circuit, a fourth end connected to the fourth end of the delay circuit, and a fifth end configured to output the control signal; and

a discharge circuit, configured to open or close an electrostatic charge discharge passage based on the control signal, the discharge circuit having a first end connected to the first voltage, a second end connected to the second voltage, and a third end connected to the fifth end of the control circuit;

wherein the delay circuit comprises:

a first inverter having a first end used as the third end of the delay circuit, a second end connected to the first voltage, a third end connected to the second voltage, and a fourth end used as the fourth end of the delay circuit; and

a second inverter having a first end connected to the fourth end of the first inverter, a second end connected to the first voltage, a third end connected to the second voltage, and a fourth end used as the fifth end of the delay circuit;

wherein the control circuit comprises:

a third PMOS transistor, a source of the third PMOS transistor being connected to the first voltage;

a third NMOS transistor, a gate of the third NMOS transistor being connected to the fourth end of the first inverter, a drain of the third NMOS transistor being connected to a drain of the third PMOS transistor, and a source of the third NMOS transistor being connected to the second voltage;

a fourth PMOS transistor, a gate of the fourth PMOS transistor being connected to the drain of the third PMOS transistor and the drain of the third NMOS transistor, and a source of the fourth PMOS transistor being connected to the first voltage; and

a fourth NMOS transistor, a gate of the fourth NMOS transistor being connected to the fourth end of the second inverter, a drain of the fourth NMOS transistor being connected to a drain of the fourth PMOS transistor and a gate of the third PMOS transistor and used as the fifth end of the control circuit.

2. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit of claim 1 , wherein

the first inverter comprises a first P-channel Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (PMOS) transistor and a first N-channel MOS (NMOS) transistor; a gate of the first PMOS transistor and a gate of the first NMOS transistor are connected together and used as the first end of the first inverter; a source of the first PMOS transistor is used as the second end of the first inverter; a drain of the first PMOS transistor and a drain of the first NMOS transistor are connected together and used as the fourth end of the first inverter; and a source of the first NMOS transistor is used as the third end of the first inverter; and

the second inverter comprises a second PMOS transistor and a second NMOS transistor;

a gate of the second PMOS transistor and a gate of the second NMOS transistor are connected together and used as the first end of the second inverter; a source of the second PMOS transistor is used as the second end of the second inverter; a drain of the second PMOS transistor and a drain of the second NMOS transistor are connected together and used as the fourth end of the second inverter; and a source of the second NMOS transistor is used as the third end of the second inverter.

3. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pulse detection circuit comprises a resistor and a capacitor, and

the resistor has a first end used as the first end of the pulse detection circuit, and a second end used as the third end of the pulse detection circuit; the capacitor has a first end connected to the second end of the resistor, and a second end used as the second end of the pulse detection circuit.

4. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit of claim 3 , wherein the resistor is a polysilicon resistor or a doped resistor.

5. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit of claim 3 , wherein the capacitor is a metal-dielectric layer-metal capacitor or a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) capacitor.

6. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit of claim 3 , wherein a product of resistance of the resistor and capacitance of the capacitor has a value from 0.01 us to 1 us.

7. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the discharge circuit comprises a discharge transistor.

8. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit of claim 7 , wherein the discharge transistor comprises an NMOS transistor; a gate of the discharge transistor is used as the third end of the discharge circuit; a drain of the discharge transistor is used as the first end of the discharge circuit; and a source of the discharge transistor is used as the second end of the discharge circuit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2021
From: XU, QIAN
To: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 056858/0668 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202010224088.0 · Mar 26, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2021079537 · Mar 8, 2021
Related Publication 20210343702A1 · Nov 4, 2021
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