Patent ID: 6215135
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
An integrated circuit comprising protecting means for protection against electrostatic discharge, which protection means is provided on a substrate (SBSTR) of a first conductivity type, and said protection means comprises a first highly doped surface area (d1) of a second, opposite, conductivity type, a second highly doped surface area (d2) of the second conductivity type, a first gate (g1) insulated from the surface (S) of the integrated circuit, which first gate (g1) is positioned so as to form a first MOS-device (MN) in conjunction with the first (d1) and the second (d2) highly doped surface areas, and a third highly doped surface area (d3) of the first conductivity type which is located directly beside the second highly doped surface area (d2), the first gate (g1) and the second (d2) and the third (d3) highly doped surface areas are electrically coupled to a first reference terminal (VSS), the substrate (SBSTR) being provided with a well (WLL) of the second conductivity type, the well (WLL) being partly stretched out into the region of the first highly doped surface area (d1), and the well (WLL) being provided with a fourth highly doped surface area (d4) of the first conductivity type which is electrically coupled to a bonding pad (BP) of the integrated circuit, characterized in that the well (WLL) further comprises a fifth highly doped surface area (d5) of the first conductivity type, a second gate (g2) insulated from the surface (S) of the integrated circuit, and a sixth highly doped surface area (d6) of the second conductivity type, which is located directly beside the fifth highly doped surface area (d5), and in that the second gate (g2) is positioned so as to form a second MOS-device (MP) in conjunction with the fourth (d4) and the fifth (d5) highly doped surface areas, and in that the second gate (g2) and the fifth (d5) and the sixth (d6) highly doped surface areas are electrically coupled to a second reference terminal (VDD).