Patent ID: 7839612
Filing Date: 2010-11-23
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit in a circuit, wherein said circuit has a first power rail and a second power rail, said ESD protection circuit comprising: an ESD shunt device comprising a first series of diodes and a second series of diodes connected in series, wherein (i) said first power rail is coupled to an input node of said first series of diodes, (ii) an output node of said first series of diodes is coupled to an input node of said second series of diodes at an internal node of said ESD shunt device, and (iii) an output node of said second series of diodes is coupled to a ground potential; a bias circuit configured to (i) provide a bias voltage to said internal node of said ESD shunt device during a normal mode of operation, and (ii) disable said bias voltage during an ESD event on said first power rail; and an isolation circuit configured to (i) isolate said second power rail from said ESD shunt device during said normal mode of operation, and (ii) couple said second power rail to said ESD shunt device during an ESD event on said second power rail.