A low leakage power-rail ESD detection circuit with a modified RC network for a 90-nm CMOS process

Zhaonian Yang; Hongxia Liu; Shulong Wang

doi:10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045010

J. Semicond. > 2013, Volume 34 > Issue 4 > 045010

SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

A low leakage power-rail ESD detection circuit with a modified RC network for a 90-nm CMOS process

Zhaonian Yang, Hongxia Liu and Shulong Wang

+ Author Affiliations

Corresponding author: Yang Zhaonian, Email:e_yangzhaonian@sina.com

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045010

Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) detection circuit with a modified RC network for a 90-nm process clamp circuit is proposed. The leakage current is reduced to 4.6 nA at 25℃. Under the ESD event, it injects a 38.7 mA trigger current into the P-substrate to trigger SCR, and SCR can be turned on the discharge of the ESD energy. The capacitor area used is only 4.2 μm². The simulation result shows that the proposed circuit can save power consumption and layout area when achieving the same trigger efficiency, compared with the previous circuits.

Key words: clamp circuit, electrostatic discharge, leakage current, RC network

References

[1]	Voldman S. ESD:circuits and devices. New York:Wiley, 2006
[2]	Joshi G, Singh D, Thangjam S. Effect of temperature variation on gate tunneling currents in nanoscale MOSFETs. Proc IEEE Conf Nanotechnology, 2008:37 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4617001/keywords
[3]	Datta S, Dewey G, Doczy M, et al. High mobility Si/SiGe strained channel MOS transistors with HfO₂/TiN gate stack. IEDM Tech Dig, 2003:653
[4]	Hong S, Shim K, Yang J. Reduced gate leakage current in AlGaN/GaN HEMT by oxygen passivation of AlGaN surface. Electron Lett, 2008, 44:1091 doi: 10.1049/el:20081350
[5]	Altolaguirre F A, Ker M D. Overview on the design of low-leakage power-rail ESD clamp circuits in nanoscale CMOS processes. Argentine School of Micro-Nanoelectronics Technology and Applications (EAMTA), 2011:1 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6021283/keywords
[6]	Ker M D. Whole-chip ESD protection design with efficient VDD-to-VSS ESD clamp circuits for submicron CMOS VLSI. IEEE Trans Electron Devices, 1999, 46:173 doi: 10.1109/16.737457
[7]	Sarro J D, Chatty K, Gauthier R, et al. Evaluation of SCR-based ESD protection devices in 90-nm and 65-nm CMOS technologies. Proc IEEE Int Reliability Physics Symp, 2007:348
[8]	Smith J C, Cline R, Boselli G. A low leakage low cost PMOS-based power supply clamp with active feedback for ESD protection in 65-nm CMOS technologies. Proc EOS/ESD Symp, 2005:298 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/05271748/
[9]	Ker M D, Chiu P Y, Tsai F Y, et al. On the design of power-rail ESD clamp circuit with consideration of gate leakage current in 65-nm low-voltage CMOS process. Proc IEEE Int Symp Circuits Syst, 2009:2281 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5118254/
[10]	Chiu P Y, Ker M D, Tsai F Y, et al. Ultra-low-leakage power-rail ESD clamp circuit in nanoscale low-voltage CMOS process. Proc IEEE Int Reliability Physics Symp, 2009:750 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5173343/authors
[11]	Wang C T, Ker M D. Design of power-rail ESD clamp circuit with ultra-low standby leakage current in nanoscale CMOS technology. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2009, 44:956 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2008.2012372
[12]	Chiu P Y, Ker M D. New low-leakage power-rail ESD clamp circuit in a 65-nm low-voltage CMOS process. IEEE Trans Device Mater Reliab, 2011, 11:474 doi: 10.1109/TDMR.2010.2066976
[13]	Wang C T, Ker M D. Design of 2×VDD-tolerant power-rail ESD clamp circuit with consideration of gate leakage current in 65-nm CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Electron Devices, 2010, 57:1460 doi: 10.1109/TED.2010.2046457
[14]	Yeh C T, Ker M D. New design of 2×VDD-tolerant power-rail ESD clamp circuit for mixed-voltage I/O buffers in 65-nm CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst Ⅱ, Express Briefs, 2012, 59:178 doi: 10.1109/TCSII.2012.2184372
[15]	Smith J C, Boselli G. A MOSFET power supply clamp with feedback enhanced triggering for ESD protection in advanced CMOS technologies. Microelectron Reliab, 2005, 45:201 doi: 10.1016/j.microrel.2004.05.008

Fig. 1. (a) Schematic of a traditional RC triggered ESD circuit and (b) waveforms of node voltages and current.

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Fig. 2. Gate leakage current of the MOSFET for a 90-nm CMOS process.

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Fig. 3. Schematic of the RC network with an inverter.

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Fig. 4. Schematic of the modified RC network.

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Fig. 5. Schematic of the new proposed ESD clamp circuit.

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Fig. 6. Waveforms of the node voltages and trigger current under the ESD event.

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Fig. 7. Waveforms of the node voltages and leakage current under normal operating conditions.

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Fig. 8. Waveforms of the node voltages and leakage current under a fast power-up event.

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Table 1. Dimensions of the devices in the proposed circuit. Unit: $\mu$m/$\mu$m.

Table 2. Key parameters of the three circuits.

Table 3. Leakage currents under different conditions. Unit: nA

[1]	Voldman S. ESD:circuits and devices. New York:Wiley, 2006
[2]	Joshi G, Singh D, Thangjam S. Effect of temperature variation on gate tunneling currents in nanoscale MOSFETs. Proc IEEE Conf Nanotechnology, 2008:37 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4617001/keywords
[3]	Datta S, Dewey G, Doczy M, et al. High mobility Si/SiGe strained channel MOS transistors with HfO₂/TiN gate stack. IEDM Tech Dig, 2003:653
[4]	Hong S, Shim K, Yang J. Reduced gate leakage current in AlGaN/GaN HEMT by oxygen passivation of AlGaN surface. Electron Lett, 2008, 44:1091 doi: 10.1049/el:20081350
[5]	Altolaguirre F A, Ker M D. Overview on the design of low-leakage power-rail ESD clamp circuits in nanoscale CMOS processes. Argentine School of Micro-Nanoelectronics Technology and Applications (EAMTA), 2011:1 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6021283/keywords
[6]	Ker M D. Whole-chip ESD protection design with efficient VDD-to-VSS ESD clamp circuits for submicron CMOS VLSI. IEEE Trans Electron Devices, 1999, 46:173 doi: 10.1109/16.737457
[7]	Sarro J D, Chatty K, Gauthier R, et al. Evaluation of SCR-based ESD protection devices in 90-nm and 65-nm CMOS technologies. Proc IEEE Int Reliability Physics Symp, 2007:348
[8]	Smith J C, Cline R, Boselli G. A low leakage low cost PMOS-based power supply clamp with active feedback for ESD protection in 65-nm CMOS technologies. Proc EOS/ESD Symp, 2005:298 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/05271748/
[9]	Ker M D, Chiu P Y, Tsai F Y, et al. On the design of power-rail ESD clamp circuit with consideration of gate leakage current in 65-nm low-voltage CMOS process. Proc IEEE Int Symp Circuits Syst, 2009:2281 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5118254/
[10]	Chiu P Y, Ker M D, Tsai F Y, et al. Ultra-low-leakage power-rail ESD clamp circuit in nanoscale low-voltage CMOS process. Proc IEEE Int Reliability Physics Symp, 2009:750 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5173343/authors
[11]	Wang C T, Ker M D. Design of power-rail ESD clamp circuit with ultra-low standby leakage current in nanoscale CMOS technology. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2009, 44:956 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2008.2012372
[12]	Chiu P Y, Ker M D. New low-leakage power-rail ESD clamp circuit in a 65-nm low-voltage CMOS process. IEEE Trans Device Mater Reliab, 2011, 11:474 doi: 10.1109/TDMR.2010.2066976
[13]	Wang C T, Ker M D. Design of 2×VDD-tolerant power-rail ESD clamp circuit with consideration of gate leakage current in 65-nm CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Electron Devices, 2010, 57:1460 doi: 10.1109/TED.2010.2046457
[14]	Yeh C T, Ker M D. New design of 2×VDD-tolerant power-rail ESD clamp circuit for mixed-voltage I/O buffers in 65-nm CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst Ⅱ, Express Briefs, 2012, 59:178 doi: 10.1109/TCSII.2012.2184372
[15]	Smith J C, Boselli G. A MOSFET power supply clamp with feedback enhanced triggering for ESD protection in advanced CMOS technologies. Microelectron Reliab, 2005, 45:201 doi: 10.1016/j.microrel.2004.05.008

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Received: 12 September 2012 Revised: 12 October 2012 Online: Published: 01 April 2013

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) detection circuit with a modified RC network for a 90-nm process clamp circuit is proposed. The leakage current is reduced to 4.6 nA at 25℃. Under the ESD event, it injects a 38.7 mA trigger current into the P-substrate to trigger SCR, and SCR can be turned on the discharge of the ESD energy. The capacitor area used is only 4.2 μm². The simulation result shows that the proposed circuit can save power consumption and layout area when achieving the same trigger efficiency, compared with the previous circuits.

A low leakage power-rail ESD detection circuit with a modified RC network for a 90-nm CMOS process

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