Integrated ESD event sense detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10749337-B2
Application number	US-201715808490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2017
Priority date	Feb 9, 2017
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

As an example, a circuit is provided. The circuit includes an ESD (electrostatic discharge) clamping circuit with a control signal controlling clamping operations of the ESD clamping circuit. The circuit further includes a counter coupled to the control signal of the ESD clamping circuit. The counter produces a set of output signals responsive to the control signal. The circuit also includes a communications interface for coupling to the set of output signals of the counter. The communications interface also couples to communications circuitry external to the circuit.

First claim

We claim:

1. A circuit, comprising:
an electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamping circuit having a control signal controlling clamping operations of the ESD clamping circuit;
a counter coupled to the control signal of the ESD clamping circuit, the counter producing a set of output signals responsive to the control signal;
a communications interface for coupling to the set of output signals of the counter and to communications circuitry external to the circuit; and
a counter freeze circuit coupled to the set of outputs of the counter and to an enable input of the counter, the counter freeze circuit arranged to output an enable signal to the counter having a value responsive to the set of output signals of the counter.

2. A circuit, comprising:
an electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamping circuit having a control signal controlling clamping operations of the ESD clamping circuit;
a counter coupled to the control signal of the ESD clamping circuit, the counter producing a set of output signals responsive to the control signal;
a communications interface for coupling to the set of output signals of the counter and to communications circuitry external to the circuit; and
a sense circuit coupled to the ESD clamping circuit to receive the control signal of the ESD clamping circuit and coupled to the counter to output a count signal to the counter responsive to the control signal of the ESD clamping circuit, the sense circuit interposed between the ESD clamping circuit and the counter,
and wherein the counter produces the set of output signals responsive to the count signal of the sense circuit.

3. A circuit, comprising:
an electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamping circuit having a control signal controlling clamping operations of the ESD clamping circuit;
a counter coupled to the control signal of the ESD clamping circuit, the counter producing a set of output signals responsive to the control signal; and
a communications interface for coupling to the set of output signals of the counter and to communications circuitry external to the circuit;

wherein:
the ESD clamping circuit, the counter and the communications interface are implemented through use of complementary metal oxide semiconductor transistors.

4. A circuit, comprising:
an electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamping circuit having a control signal controlling clamping operations of the ESD clamping circuit;
a counter coupled to the control signal of the ESD clamping circuit, the counter producing a set of output signals responsive to the control signal; and
a communications interface for coupling to the set of output signals of the counter and to communications circuitry external to the circuit;

wherein:
the ESD clamping circuit, the counter and the communications interface are implemented through use of bipolar junction transistors.

5. A circuit, comprising:
an electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamping circuit having a control signal controlling clamping operations of the ESD clamping circuit;
a counter coupled to the control signal of the ESD clamping circuit, the counter producing a set of output signals responsive to the control signal;
a communications interface for coupling to the set of output signals of the counter and to communications circuitry external to the circuit;
a bond pad coupled to the ESD clamping circuit;
a counter freeze circuit coupled to the set of outputs of the counter and to an enable input of the counter, the counter freeze circuit arranged to output an enable signal to the counter having a value responsive to the set of output signals of the counter;
a sense circuit coupled to the ESD clamping circuit to receive the control signal of the ESD clamping circuit and coupled to the counter to output a count signal to the counter responsive to the control signal of the ESD clamping circuit, the sense circuit interposed between the ESD clamping circuit and the counter; and
wherein the counter produces the set of output signals responsive to the count signal of the sense circuit.

6. A circuit, comprising:
a first ESD clamping circuit having a first control signal, the first control signal controlling a first clamping transistor, the first clamping transistor coupled to a first pad and to a ground, the first control signal operative to cause the first clamping transistor to conduct current in an excess charge situation;
a first counter having a first count input, the first count input coupled to the first control signal of the first ESD clamping circuit, the first counter having a first set of count outputs, the first counter configured to stop counting when each output of the first set of count outputs is a logical one; and
a first communications interface for coupling to the first set of count outputs and to an external circuit.

7. The circuit of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first bond pad coupled to the first ESD clamping circuit.

8. The circuit of claim 6 , further comprising:
a ring of bond pads coupled to the first ESD clamping circuit.

9. The circuit of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second ESD clamping circuit having a second control signal, the second control signal controlling a second clamping transistor, the second clamping transistor coupled to a second pad and to the ground, the second control signal operative to cause the second clamping transistor to conduct current in an excess charge situation; and
a combining circuit having a first input coupled to the first control signal of the first ESD clamping circuit, the combining circuit having a second input coupled to the second control signal of the second ESD clamping circuit, the combining circuit having an output coupled to the count input of the first counter, the combining circuit interposed between the first ESD clamping circuit and the first counter.

10. The circuit of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second ESD clamping circuit having a second control signal, the second control signal controlling a second clamping transistor, the second clamping transistor coupled to a second pad and to the ground, the second control signal operative to cause the second clamping transistor to conduct current in an excess charge situation;
a second counter, the second counter having a second count input, the second count input coupled to the second control signal of the second ESD clamping circuit, the second counter having a second set of count outputs, the second counter configured to stop counting when each output of the second set of count outputs is a logical one;
a combining circuit having a first set of inputs coupled to the first set of count outputs of the first counter, the combining circuit having a second set of inputs coupled to the second set of outputs of the second counter, the combining circuit having an output coupled to the communications interface, the combining circuit interposed between the first counter and the communications interface.

11. The circuit of claim 10 , further comprising:
a first ring of bond pads coupled to the bond pad of the first ESD clamping circuit; a second ring of bond pads coupled to the bond pad of the second ESD clamping circuit;
and wherein the first ring of bond pads is electrically isolated from the second ring of bond pads within the circuit.

12. A circuit, comprising:
a first transistor having a drain, a source, and a gate, the drain of the first transistor coupled to a power supply conductor, the source of the first transistor coupled to a source supply conductor;
a second transistor having a drain, a source, and a gate, the gate of the second transistor coupled to the gate of the first transistor, the drain of the second transistor coupled to the

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Segervall Alan Erik
• Pimentel Ross Anthony
• Seth Sumantra

Classifications

• H10W72/9445

  Top-view layouts, e.g. mirror arrays · CPC title

• H10W72/90

  Bond pads, in general · CPC title

• H10D89/817

  FETs in a Darlington configuration · CPC title

• H10D89/711

  using bipolar transistors as protective elements · CPC title

• H10D89/60

  Integrated devices comprising arrangements for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. protection circuits against electrostatic discharge [ESD] · CPC title