TY - JOUR
T1 - Design of differential low-noise amplifier with cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme
AU - Lin, Chun Yu
AU - Ker, Ming-Dou
AU - Hsiao, Yuan Wen
PY - 2010/6/1
Y1 - 2010/6/1
N2 - The pin-to-pin electrostatic discharge (ESD) stress was one of the most critical ESD events for differential input pads. The pin-to-pin ESD issue for a differential low-noise amplifier (LNA) was studied in this work. A new ESD protection scheme for differential input pads, which was realized with cross-coupled silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR), was proposed to protect the differential LNA. The cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme was modified from the conventional double-diode ESD protection scheme without adding any extra device. The SCR path was established directly from one differential input pad to the other differential input pad in this cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme, so the pin-to-pin ESD robustness can be improved. The test circuits had been fabricated in a 130-nm CMOS process. Under pin-to-pin ESD stresses, the human-body-model (HBM) and machine-model (MM) ESD levels of the differential LNA with the cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme are >8 kV and 800 V, respectively. Experimental results had shown that the new proposed ESD protection scheme for the differential LNA can achieve excellent ESD robustness and good RF performances.
AB - The pin-to-pin electrostatic discharge (ESD) stress was one of the most critical ESD events for differential input pads. The pin-to-pin ESD issue for a differential low-noise amplifier (LNA) was studied in this work. A new ESD protection scheme for differential input pads, which was realized with cross-coupled silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR), was proposed to protect the differential LNA. The cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme was modified from the conventional double-diode ESD protection scheme without adding any extra device. The SCR path was established directly from one differential input pad to the other differential input pad in this cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme, so the pin-to-pin ESD robustness can be improved. The test circuits had been fabricated in a 130-nm CMOS process. Under pin-to-pin ESD stresses, the human-body-model (HBM) and machine-model (MM) ESD levels of the differential LNA with the cross-coupled-SCR ESD protection scheme are >8 kV and 800 V, respectively. Experimental results had shown that the new proposed ESD protection scheme for the differential LNA can achieve excellent ESD robustness and good RF performances.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77953137799&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.microrel.2010.02.020
DO - 10.1016/j.microrel.2010.02.020
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77953137799
SN - 0026-2714
VL - 50
SP - 831
EP - 838
JO - Microelectronics and Reliability
JF - Microelectronics and Reliability
IS - 6
ER -