Patent ID: 8283698
Filing Date: 2012-10-09
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for protecting an integrated circuit (IC) comprising: a first voltage potential, a first power supply potential and a second power supply potential; at least a first NPN bipolar transistor including a first N-doped junction, a second N-doped junction and a third P-doped base junction, wherein the first N-doped junction is coupled to the first voltage potential and the second N-doped junction is coupled to the first power supply potential; and at least a first PNP bipolar transistor including a first P-doped junction, a second P-doped junction and a third N-doped base junction, wherein the first P-doped junction is coupled to the first voltage potential and the second P-doped junction is coupled to the second power supply potential, said third P-doped base junction of the first NPN bipolar transistor is coupled to said third N-doped base junction of the first PNP bipolar transistor, whereby the first NPN bipolar transistor and the first PNP bipolar transistor conduct current in response to an ESD event.