Patent ID: 9583603
Date: 2017-02-28
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. An electronic apparatus comprising an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device, the ESD protection device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a base region in the semiconductor substrate and having a first conductivity type; an emitter region in the base region and having a second conductivity type; a collector region in the semiconductor substrate, spaced from the base region, and having the second conductivity type; a breakdown trigger region doped to effectively have the second conductivity type, and disposed laterally between the base region and the collector region to define a junction across which breakdown occurs to trigger the ESD protection device to shunt ESD discharge current; and a gate structure supported by the semiconductor substrate over the breakdown trigger region and electrically tied via an interconnect to the base region and the emitter region; wherein the lateral width of the breakdown trigger region is configured to establish a voltage level at which the breakdown occurs.