Integrierte Halbleiterschaltung mit einem Schutzmittel

摘要

The circuit has a semiconductor substrate with a number of potential rails (P1-i) connected to a first supply potential (VSS-i) and a number of potential rails (P2-i) connected to a second supply potential (VCC-i), between which a number of circuit stages (Si) are connected. Each circuit stage has an input/output terminal (PAD-ij) coupled to it via an overvoltage protection circuit (ESD-i), with a discharge path (EP) for diverting the overvoltage, coupled to a collector potential rail (P-ESD) for all the protection circuits.