An authoritative single-volume reference on the design and analysis of ESD protection for ICs
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a major reliability challenge to semiconductors, integrated circuits (ICs), and microelectronic systems. On-chip ESD protection is a vital to any electronic products, such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices. Practical ESD Protection Design provides comprehensive and systematic guidance on all major aspects of designs of on-chip ESD protection for integrated circuits (ICs).
Written for students and practicing engineers alike, this one-stop resource covers essential theories, hands-on design skills, computer-aided design (CAD) methods, characterization and analysis techniques, and more on ESD protection designs. Detailed chapters examine an array of topics ranging from fundamental to advanced, including ESD phenomena, ESD failure analysis, ESD testing models, ESD protection devices and circuits, ESD design layout and technology effects, ESD design flows and co-design methods, ESD modelling and CAD techniques, and future ESD protection concepts. Based on the author’s decades of design, research and teaching experiences, Practical ESD Protection Design:
• Features numerous real-world ESD protection design examples
• Emphasizes on ESD protection design techniques and procedures
• Describes ESD-IC co-design methodology for high-performance mixed-signal ICs and broadband radio-frequency (RF) ICs
• Discusses CAD-based ESD protection design optimization and prediction using both Technology and Electrical Computer-Aided Design (TCAD/ECAD) simulation
• Addresses new ESD CAD algorithms and tools for full-chip ESD physical design verification
• Explores the disruptive future outlook of ESD protection
Practical ESD Protection Design is a valuable reference for industrial engineers and academic researchers in the field, and an excellent textbook for electronic engineering courses in semiconductor microelectronics and integrated circuit designs.
Table of Contents
Author Biography xi
Preface xiii
1 Why ESD? 1
1.1 A Historical Perspective 1
1.2 ESD and the Dangers 3
1.3 ESD Protection: The Principles 9
1.4 ESD Protection: More or Less? 13
1.5 ESD Protection: Evolution to Revolution 15
References 15
2 ESD Failure Analysis 19
2.1 ESD Failure Analysis 19
2.1.1 ESD Failure Criteria 19
2.1.2 Hard and Soft ESD Failures 20
2.2 ESD FA Techniques 20
2.3 ESD Failure Signatures 22
2.4 ESD Soft Failures 38
2.5 ESD Failure Correlation 41
2.6 ESD Failure Models 44
References 47
3 ESD Test Models and Standards 51
3.1 ESD Origins 51
3.2 HBM Model 52
3.3 mm Model 58
3.4 CDM Model 61
3.5 IEC Model 67
3.6 TLP Model 69
3.7 Summary 74
References 75
4 ESD Protection Devices 77
4.1 On-Chip ESD Protection Mechanisms 77
4.1.1 Switch for ESD Discharge 77
4.1.2 ESD Protection: Active versus Passive 81
4.2 Diode for ESD Protection 84
4.2.1 Diode Device Physics 84
4.2.2 Diode in ESD Protection 85
4.2.3 Diode ESD Parasitic Modeling 87
4.3 BJT for ESD Protection 87
4.3.1 BJT Device Physics 88
4.3.2 BJT in ESD Protection 90
4.3.3 BJT ESD Parasitic Modeling 92
4.4 MOSFET for ESD Protection 93
4.4.1 MOSFET Device Physics 94
4.4.2 ggMOS in ESD Protection 95
4.4.3 MOSFET ESD Parasitic Modeling 98
4.5 SCR for ESD Protection 99
4.5.1 SCR Device Physics 100
4.5.2 SCR in ESD Protection 102
4.5.3 SCR ESD Parasitic Modeling 106
4.6 Summary 107
References 109
5 ESD Protection Circuits 111
5.1 I/O ESD Protection 111
5.1.1 Two-Stage ESD Protection 112
5.1.2 Multiple-Fingers ESD Protection 113
5.1.3 MOSFET ESD Protection Circuits 114
5.1.4 BJT ESD Protection Circuits 117
5.1.5 SCR ESD Protection Circuits 120
5.2 ESD Self-Protection 121
5.2.1 Output ESD Protection 121
5.2.2 ESD Self-Protection 124
5.3 Low-Triggering ESD Protection Circuits 124
5.4 ESD Power Clamps 129
5.4.1 Diode-String Power Clamps 131
5.4.2 MOSFET Power Clamps 134
5.4.3 SCR Power Clamps 135
5.4.4 Any Switch Power Clamps 135
5.5 Summary 136
References 137
6 Full-Chip ESD Protection 139
6.1 Full-Chip ESD Protection Principles 139
6.2 ESD Protection Design Window 140
6.3 Advanced ESD Protection: More at Less 142
6.3.1 Dual-Polarity ESD Protection 143
6.3.2 Multiple-Polarity ESD Protection 147
6.4 Full-Chip ESD Protection Schemes 150
6.4.1 Full-Chip ESD Consideration 150
6.4.2 Pad-Clamp Scheme 151
6.4.3 Global ESD Bus Scheme 153
6.5 No Universal ESD Protection Solution 154
References 155
7 Mixed-Signal and HV ESD Protection 157
7.1 ESD Protection for Mixed-Signal ICs 157
7.2 ESD Protection for Multiple-Voltages ICs 162
7.3 ESD Protection for High-Voltage ICs 167
7.3.1 ESD Design Window Compliance 167
7.3.2 Latch-up Immunity 173
7.4 Summary 174
References 175
8 TCAD-Based Mixed-Mode ESD Protection Designs 177
8.1 ESD Design Optimization and Prediction 177
8.2 TCAD-Based Mixed-Mode ESD Simulation-Design Methodology 182
8.3 Mixed-Mode ESD Simulation-Design Examples 188
8.3.1 Example 1: Understand TCAD ESD Simulation 188
8.3.2 Example-2: ggNMOS versus gcNMOS ESD Protection 192
8.3.3 Example-3: ESD Power Clamp in 0.35 μmCMOS 196
8.3.4 Example-4: Optimize HV ESD Protection Design 199
8.3.5 Example-5: ESD Layout Analysis by 3D TCAD 203
8.3.6 Example-6: Multiple-Stimuli TCAD ESD Simulation 210
8.4 Summary 218
References 219
9 RF ESD Protection 221
9.1 What Is Special for RF ESD Protection? 221
9.2 RF ESD Protection Characterization 226
9.3 Low-Parasitic ESD Protection Solutions 232
9.4 RF ESD Protection Design Example 233
9.5 Summary 236
References 237
10 ESD-RFIC Co-Design 239
10.1 ESD-IC Interactions 239
10.1.1 IC Affects ESD Protection 239
10.1.2 ESD Affects IC Performance 241
10.2 ESD-RFIC Co-Design 248
10.2.1 ESD-RFIC Co-Design Principle 249
10.2.2 ESD-RFIC Co-Design Examples 251
10.3 Summary 259
References 259
11 ESD Layout Designs 261
11.1 Layout is Critical to ESD Protection 261
11.2 Basic ESD Protection Layout 262
11.3 Advanced ESD Protection Layout 274
11.3.1 Advanced ESD Layout Considerations 274
11.3.2 ESD Design Layout is an Art 278
11.4 3D TCAD for ESD Layout Designs 284
11.5 Summary 294
References 295
12 ESD versus IC Technologies 297
12.1 IC Technologies and ESD Protection 297
12.1.1 ESD Metal Interconnects 297
12.1.2 Technology-ESD Co-Development 299
12.1.3 Graphene Heat Spreading 305
12.2 Technology Affects ESD Design Window 305
12.3 Lowering ESD Protection for Advanced ICs? 306
12.4 Summary 308
References 308
13 ESD Circuit Simulation by SPICE 311
13.1 ESD Device Behavior Modeling 311
13.2 Full-Chip ESD Circuit Simulation by SPICE 314
13.2.1 Principle for ESD Circuit Simulation by SPICE 314
13.2.2 Circuit-Level ESD Design Verification by SPICE 319
13.3 Summary 326
References 326
14 Emerging ESD Protection 327
14.1 Emerging ESD Protection Challenges 327
14.2 Dispensable ESD Protection 328
14.3 Field-Programmable ESD Protection 332
14.3.1 Nano-Crystal Quantum-Dots ESD Protection 332
14.3.2 SONOS ESD Protection 334
14.4 Interposer/TSV-Based ESD Protection 337
14.5 Summary 341
References 342
15 ESD CAD for Full-Chip Design Verification 345
15.1 Full-Chip ESD Design Verification 345
15.2 CAD Algorithms for ESD Design Verification 347
15.3 Full-Chip ESD Design Verification Examples 353
15.4 Summary 363
References 364
16 New CDM ESD Protection 367
16.1 Misconception in CDM ESD Protection 367
16.2 Analyzing Pad-Based CDM ESD Protection 370
16.3 Internally Distributed CDM ESD Protection 385
16.4 Summary 391
References 392
17 Future ESD Protection Outlook 395
17.1 The Fundamental ESD Protection Problem 395
17.2 Above-IC Nano-Crossbar Array ESD Switch 396
17.3 Graphene ESD Protection Switch 401
17.4 Graphene ESD Protection Interconnects 405
17.5 Future ESD Protection Outlook 407
17.6 Summary 410
References 411
Index 413
