Sofics has supported many companies to enhance the robustness level of their ICs beyond the standard 2kV HBM.
Typical applications with higher ESD robustness include automotive electronics, medical devices. But also some consumer products need higher robustness like anything with USB, HDMI, DisplayPort interfaces. This includes higher robustness against HBM, MM or CDM. But in several cases the customer required on-chip robustness against system level ESD protection (IEC 61000-4-2).
Examples in different processes
Sofics ESD technology can easily scale to any ESD robustness level. 4kV and 6kV HBM for some medical applications. 6kV HBM for timing controller applications. 8kV HBM for HDMI/DisplayPort applications. 6kV and 8kV IEC 61000-4-2 for automotive applications
The failure current of the proprietary SCR devices can be increased simply by making the device larger. The plot shows this linear behavior.
| TLP | HBM | IEC 61000-4-2 | Width x Height | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 A | 2.8 kV | 35um x 22um | 770 um² | |
| 3.6 A | 5 kV | 35um x 38um | 1330 um² | |
| 7 A | 10 kV | 60um x 40um | 2400 um² | |
| 8 kV | 120um x 54um | 6480 um² | ||
| 12 kV | 175um x 54um | 9450 um² |
Example robustness levels in TSMC 65nm CMOS technology for 1.2V Diode Triggered SCR devices of different layout sizes.
Mature CMOS (0.5um to 180nm)
| Process | Pad | ESD robustness | Leakage |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSMC 180nm | 1.8V I/O | > 5 kV HBM | < 200 pA |
| TSMC 180nm | 5V I/O | > 8 kV HBM | < 5 nA |
| TowerSemi 350nm | 4.5V I/O | > 8 kV HBM | < 100 pA |
| TowerSemi 350nm | 4.5V rail | > 8 kV HBM | < 100 pA |
Mainstream CMOS (130nm to 65 nm)
| Process | Pad | ESD robustness | Leakage |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSMC 130nm | 1.2V rail | > 370 V HBM | < 50 pA |
| TSMC 130nm | 3.3V rail | > 4.5 kV HBM | < 10 nA |
| TSMC 130nm | 3.3V I/O | > 8 kV HBM | < 1 nA |
| UMC 130nm | 1.2V I/O | > 4 kV HBM | < 10 nA |
| TSMC 65nm | 1.2V rail | > 7 kV HBM | < 1 nA |
| UMC 65nm | 2.5V rail | > 7.5 kV HBM | < 10 nA |
Advanced CMOS (40 to 22nm)
| Process | Pad | ESD robustness | Leakage |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSMC 40nm | 0.9V I/O | > 5 kV HBM | < 10 pA |
| TSMC 40nm | 1.2 I/O | > 5 kV HBM | < 10 pA |
| TSMC 40nm | 3.3V I/O | > 4 kV HBM | < 500 pA |
| TSMC 28nm | 0.9V I/O | > 8 kV IEC 61000-4-2 | < 10 nA |
| TSMC 22nm | 0.8V rail | > 8 kV HBM | < 10 nA |
| TSMC 22nm | 0.8V I/O | > 8 kV HBM | < 10 nA |
| TSMC 22nm | 1.8V rail | > 8 kV HBM | < 10 nA |
| TSMC 22nm | 3.3V rail | > 8 kV HBM | < 10 nA |
| TSMC 22nm | 3.3V I/O | > 8 kV IEC 61000-4-2 | < 10 nA |
FinFET technology
| Process | Pad | ESD robustness | Leakage |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSMC 16nm | 1.8V rail | > 4 kV HBM | < 500 pA |
| TSMC 16nm | 1.2V I/O | > 4 kV IEC 61000-4-2 | < 50 pA |
BCD technology
| Process | Pad | Holding Voltage | ESD robustness | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSMC 250nm BCD | 2.5V I/O | 49V | > 5 kV HBM | 36800 um² |
| TSMC 250nm BCD | LIN I/O | 27V | > 4 kV HBM | 4400 um² |
| TSMC 250nm BCD | LIN I/O | 27V | > 9 kV IEC 61000-4-2 | 15500 um² |
| TSMC 250nm BCD | LIN I/O | 27V | > 13.5 kV IEC 61000-4-2 | 29500 um² |
| UMC 180nm BCD | 24V I/O | 27V | > 6.5 kV HBM | 44000 um² |
| TSMC 180nm BCD | 18V I/O | 23.5V | > 4 kV IEC 61000-4-2 | 33450 um² |
| TSMC 180nm BCD | Industrial CAN | 25V | > 10 kV HBM | 96000 um² |
| TSMC 180nm BCD | 55V I/O | 50V | > 4.8 kV IEC 61000-4-2 | 64500 um² |
Further reading
Blog article “Applying system level ESD on ICs“
Blog article “ESD clamps for high voltage, BCD processes“
Blog article “Optimized on-Chip ESD protection to enable high-speed ethernet in cars“
Blog article “New opportunities for automotive LIN interfaces”
Press release about cooperation with Tower Semi