Non-Pad-Based in Situ In-Operando CDM ESD Protection Using Internally Distributed Network

Charged device model (CDM) electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection is an emerging design challenge to ICs at advanced technology nodes. It was recently reported that the traditional pad-based CDM ESD protection methods are fundamentally faulty, which causes uncertainties in CDM ESD protection designs, testing and failure analysis. Re-thinking of on-chip CDM ESD protection becomes imperative for complex ICs implemented in advanced technologies. This paper reports a disruptive CDM ESD protection method utilizing non-pad-based internally-distributed ESD protection network as a robust in situ in-operando CDM ESD protection solution. The proposed internal-distributed CDM ESD protection mesh network can be realized using interposer or through-silicon-via (TSV) ESD protection structures to achieve local 3D CDM ESD protection via heterogeneous integration. The new concept was validated using an internal-CDM-protected oscillator IC implemented in a foundry 45nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology.