Electrostatic discharge protection

摘要

An integrated circuit (300) protected from an electrostatic discharge has one or more positive interconnection means (306d, 306d, 306i) for electrically coupling the integrated circuit (300) externally to the integrated circuit (300) at a voltage that is solely positive with respect to a common conductor (CC) and one or more negative interconnection means (306f-h) for electrically coupling the integrated circuit (300) externally to the integrated circuit (300) at a voltage that is solely negative with respect to the common conductor (CC). Each of the positive and negative interconnection means (306d-i) is electrically coupled to the common conductor (CC) via a different electrostatic discharge protection device (312d-i). Between each combination of two of the interconnection means (306d-i) is a path for conducting the electrostatic discharge current comprising the common conductor (CC) and no more than two of the electrostatic discharge protection devices (312d-i).