Low-voltage-triggered electrostatic discharge protection device and relevant circuitry

摘要

A novel low-voltage-triggered semiconductor controlled rectified (LVTSCR) as an ESD protection device is provided in this invention. The ESD protection device of the present invention has a lateral SCR (LSCR) structure with two electrodes and a MOS for triggering the LSCR. A dummy gate and a doped region are used to isolate the MOS from one of these two electrodes. The dummy gate is designed to block the formation of field-oxide layer formed in the device structure of the lateral SCR. Therefore, the proposed SCR device has a shorter current path in CMOS process, especially in the CMOS process with shallow trench isolation (STI) field-oxide layer. During an ESD, the current path in the ESD protection device is much shorter, and the turn-on speed and the ESD tolerance level are thereby enhanced.