Patent ID: 6704180
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for protecting circuitry internal to an integrated circuit, which is coupled to an output of the ESD protection circuit, from ESD damage due to ESD voltages occurring at the input thereof, comprising:first and second power supply rails; a first diode of first conductivity type coupled between the input of the integrated circuit and a first circuit node, said first diode providing a first current path to said first power supply rail when forward biased by an ESD voltage exceeding a predetermined positive value thereby clamping the input thereat; a second diode of a second conductivity type coupled between the input of the integrated circuit and said first circuit node, said second diode providing a second current path to said second power supply rail to the input when forward biased by said ESD voltage exceeding a predetermined negative value thereby clamping the input thereat; and a feedback amplifier for maintaining a substantially zero voltage difference between the input and said first circuit node wherein any effective capacitance at the input is reduced to substantially zero.