Optimized Clamp Deployment with Simulation and Characterization in Full-Chip ESD (Electro-Static-Discharge) Design

DOE (design of experiment) with simulation approach is presented that allow early visibility, guidance, and analysis of clamp placement in early design stage (power template design) on a chip level complexity. ESD robustness of product is largely attributed to the degree of correct implementation of ESD design rules in a highly complex design. Correct clamp placements is one of the most difficult and less guidance. Therefore, a 'reliable' & 'comprehensive' ESD clamp placement analysis is urgently needed. This simulation would deliver a preliminary guidance of clamp placement. It provides the information of where the most probable clamp placement is in the particular power template design. Since it takes into consideration the ESD ohm rules requirements during the construction of ohm sector, it would have a very high confident level that the design would not encounter much issue in the ESD resistance checkout later. Apart from the ESD design rules checkout, we also couple with TLP (transient line pulse) testing which has proven this approach could deliver a promising ESD protection robustness. We can characterize, co-relate, and compare our simulation with the Si data from various design perspectives. All in all, the real strength of this simulation is the ability to provide earlier design guidance & optimization options starting from the product concept phase (power template design stage), which allows to align ESD with all design issues on a cost and time efficient way. Without the simulation, designer would need to manually calculate the resistance , rely on past experience and some assumption with nil data support which is tedious & error prone for complex design nowadays. This allows ESD design rules compliance in the early design stage, thus enhancing the approach of "correct-by-construction" on ESD design.