Accurate wafer-level measurement of ESD protection device turn-on using a modified very fast transmission-line pulse system

Quantifying the turn-on behavior of electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection devices under subnanosecond transients is critical to achieving robust protection against the Charged Device Model stress. A wafer-level very fast transmission-line pulse system (VFTLP) has been developed and is shown to successfully measure the turn-on time of a common ESD protection device. Both formal analysis and practical details regarding VFTLP system construction and operation are documented.