Optimizing the on-chip electrostatic discharge protection device by Taguchi's methodology

The study presents the use of Taguchi method to obtain the best ESD performance devices and compares the performance with other methods. A full-factor method to obtain the best ESD performance devices can achieve all experimental factor effects, but at a significant cost. Through silicon data validation and analysis, Taguchi's method has been shown to save two-thirds of the cost for optimal ESD devices compared to the full-factor approach. In addition, if the layout area is very concerned in advanced technologies such as 40 nm and 28 nm, a tentative method called the single-factor-middle-level method is proposed as another ESD device optimization method.