Disclosed examples provide an ESD protection circuit including a protection structure to selectively conduct current between a first terminal at a protected node and a second terminal at a reference node in response to the protected node voltage and a control voltage signal rising above a trigger voltage during an ESD event, and a bias circuit configured to bias a protection structure control terminal at a control voltage corresponding to a higher one of a first voltage of the first terminal and a second voltage of the second terminal to control the trigger voltage of the ESD protection structure to keep the ESD protection structure off during normal operation.

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) device for protecting an input/output terminal of a circuit, the device comprising a first transistor with an integrated silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) coupled between the input/output (I/O) terminal of the circuit and a node and a second transistor with an integrated silicon-controlled rectifier coupled between the node and a negative terminal of a supply voltage, wherein the silicon-controlled rectifier of the first transistor triggers in response to a negative ESD voltage and the silicon-controlled rectifier of the second transistor triggers in response to a positive ESD voltage.

An Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) protection circuit includes a plurality of groups of p-type heavily doped semiconductor strips (p+ strips) and a plurality of groups of n-type heavily doped semiconductor strips (n+ strips) forming an array having a plurality of rows and columns. In each of the rows and the columns, the plurality of groups of p+ strips and the plurality of groups of n+ strips are allocated in an alternating layout. The ESD protection circuit further includes a plurality of gate stacks, each including a first edge aligned to an edge of a group in the plurality of groups of p+ strips, and a second edge aligned to an edge of a group in the plurality of groups of n+ strips.

A semiconductor device is provided that includes a first n+ region, a first p+ region within the first n+ region, a second n+ region, a second p+ region, positioned between the first n+ region and the second n+ region. The first n+ region, the second n+ region and the second p+ region are positioned within a p− region. A first space charge region and a second space charge region are formed within the p− region. The first space region is positioned between the first n+ region and the second p+ region, and the second space region is positioned between the second p+ region and the second n+ region.

An ESD protection device may include a substrate having first and second substrate layers, and first and second bridged regions. Each substrate layer may include first and second border regions and a middle region laterally therebetween. Each bridged region may be arranged within the middle region and a respective border region of the second substrate layer. The middle region of the second substrate layer may be laterally narrower than the middle region of the first substrate layer. Each border region of the second substrate layer may be partially arranged over the middle region of the first substrate layer and partially arranged over a respective border region of the first substrate layer. The border regions of the substrate layers, and the bridged regions may have a first conductivity type, and the middle regions of the substrate layers may have a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type.

Electrical overstress protection for electronic systems subject to electromagnetic compatibility fault conditions are provided herein. In certain implementations, a stacked thyristor protection structure with a high holding voltage includes a protection device having a trigger voltage and a holding voltage. A trigger voltage of the stacked thyristor protection structure is substantially equal to the trigger voltage of the protection device. The stacked thyristor protection structure further includes at least one resistive thyristor electrically connected to the protection device and operable to increase a holding voltage of the stacked thyristor protection structure relative to the holding voltage of the protection device. The at least one resistive thyristor comprising a PNP bipolar transistor and a NPN bipolar transistor that are cross-coupled, and a conductor connecting a collector of the PNP bipolar transistor to a collector of the NPN bipolar transistor.

A silicon controlled rectifier is provided. The silicon controlled rectifier comprises a substrate and a first n-well in the substrate. A p+ anode region may be arranged in the first n-well in the substrate. A first p-well may be arranged in the first n-well in the substrate. An n+ cathode region may be arranged in the first p-well in the substrate. A field oxide layer may be arranged over a first portion of the first p-well. A first gate electrode layer may extend over a second portion of the first p-well and over a portion of the field oxide layer.

A semiconductor die with high-voltage tolerant electrical overstress circuit architecture is disclosed. One embodiment of the semiconductor die includes a signal pad, a ground pad, a core circuit electrically connected to the signal pad, and a stacked thyristor protection device. The stacked thyristor includes a first thyristor and a resistive thyristor electrically connected in a stack between the signal pad and the ground pad, which enhances the holding voltage of the circuit relatively to an implementation with only the thyristor. Further, the resistive thyristor includes a PNP bipolar transistor and a NPN bipolar transistor that are cross-coupled, and an electrical connection between a collector of the PNP bipolar transistor and a collector of the NPN bipolar transistor. This allows the resistive thyristor to exhibit both thyristor characteristics and resistive characteristics based on a level of current flow.

A thyristor tile includes first and second PNP tiles and first and second NPN tiles. Each PNP tile is adjacent to both NPN tiles, and each NPN tile is adjacent to both PNP tiles. A thyristor includes a plurality of PNP tiles and a plurality of NPN tiles. The PNP and NPN tiles are arranged in an alternating configuration in both rows and columns. The PNP tiles are oriented perpendicular to the NPN tiles. Interconnect layers have a geometry that enables even distribution of signals to the PNP and NPN tiles.

A semiconductor device includes: a doped well region of a first conductive type; M semiconductor components, the M semiconductor components being provided in the doped well region of the first conductive type and being arranged in the doped well region of the first conductive type in a first direction, M being a positive integer, each semiconductor component including a first doped region of a second conductive type and a doped region of a first conductive type, and the doped region of the first conductive type surrounding the first doped region of the second conductive type; and second doped regions of a second conductive type, the second doped regions of the second conductive type being provided on at least one side of the M semiconductor components in the first direction.