Investigation of ESD- and EOS-integrated protection devices featuring quick triggering, small snapback voltage and strong robustness

Abstract To address the delayed response and high latch-up risk in the dual-directional high-voltage silicon-controlled rectifier (DHSCR) and MOS-triggered DHSCR (MDHSCR), a novel BJT-triggered DHSCR (BDHSCR) structure is proposed and investigated in this paper. By incorporating assistant triggering paths, the design enables the orderly activation of electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrical overstress (EOS) protections, thereby achieving highly efficient, integrated protection against both ESD and EOS events. By further verifying with TCAD simulations and comprehensive testing, the findings show that the designed BDHSCR demonstrates superior integration density and enhanced ESD/EOS protection capabilities. Compared to the conventional DHSCR and MDHSCR structures, the ESD protection performance of BDHSCR presents a higher failure current of 10.6 A, a smaller snapback voltage of 6.2 V, a higher holding voltage of 8.5 V, a faster turn-on speed of 7.8 ns, and a larger I PP of 2.8 A. The novel design of BDHSCR, featuring quick triggering, small snapback voltage and strong robustness, contributes to enhancing the stability and reliability of automotive-grade electronic systems.