Patent ID: 6452234
Filing Date: 2002-09-17
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A protection circuit structure for providing electrostatic discharge protection capability to silicon-on-insulator integrated circuits, said protection circuit structure comprising in combination:a SOI structure including a transistor device including a source region, a drain region and a channel region all formed in a thin oxide layer overlying an insulating layer; said insulating layer being formed over a p-type silicon substrate; said thin oxide layer being formed over said insulating layer; a p-type conductive region being formed in an upper portion of said insulating layer; said p-type conductive region being spaced laterally apart from said SOI structure so that portions of said insulating layer surround the outer sides of said p-type conductive region to provide electrical isolation; a metal conductive region being formed in the center of said p-type conductive region and extending between the top surface of said thin oxide layer and the bottom surface of said insulating layer; an n-type conductive region being formed in said p-type silicon substrate adjacent to the bottom surface of said metal conductive region so as to define a protection diode with said p-type silicon substrate; an electrically conductive input or input/output (I/O) pad formed over the top surface of said thin oxide layer; and a conductive lead being operatively joined between said input pad and one of said source and drain regions of the transistor device.