New high voltage ESD protection devices based on bipolar transistors for automotive applications

A novel ESD protection based on thyristor-like coupled NPN and PNP transistors is presented. This protection is developed in a 0.25 μm SmartMOS® technology targeting 10 to 65 Volts IO pins. TCAD simulations are leveraged to analyze the physical behavior and a comprehensive qualification for automotive applications is presented, including HBM, MM and gun robustness measurements, transient voltage overshoot characterization in TLP, very fast TLP characterization and DC tests from -40 to 175°C. Outstanding performances are reported for the implementation in an ECU product.