Patent ID: 6587320
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
Apparatus for current ballasting an electrostatic discharge (ESD) sensitive device having a first region and a second region, for protecting a node in an electronic circuit from over voltage conditions by providing a conductive path through the first and second regions to a terminal configured to be coupled to a source of reference potential when said ESD device is turned on, said apparatus comprising:a plurality of spaced connecting terminals in the first region of the ESD sensitive device for providing respective electrical contacts to the first region, the first region and the spaced connecting terminals being configured to exhibit a lateral resistance in the first region between successive ones of the spaced connecting terminals, wherein the lateral resistance is greater than a resistance of the conductive path when the ESD device is turned on; and a plurality of isolated nonintersecting conductive strips, each having a first end and a second end, the first end of each of the isolated nonintersecting conductive strips being electrically coupled to the node and the second end of each of the isolated nonintersecting conductive strips being coupled to a respectively different one of the plurality of spaced connecting terminals.