SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE FOR ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PROTECTION HAVING REGIONS OF ALTERNATING CONDUCTIVITY TYPES

摘要

A protection device including at least an NPN transistor (1203) and a PNP transistor (1204) coupled between a first node (1201) and a second node (1202) so as to sink current from the first node to the second node in response to an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event. The transistors may be coupled such that the N collector (1222) of the NPN transistor is coupled to the first node, the P base (1224) of the NPN transistor is coupled to the P emitter (1224) of the PNP transistor, the N emitter (1225) of the NPN transistor is coupled to the N base (1225) of the PNP transistor and the P collector (1223) of the PNP transistor is coupled to the second node, whereby a device having an NPNP structure may be achieved.