A novel latch-up free SCR-LDMOS for power-rail ESD clamp in half-bridge driver IC

The SCR-LDMOS device is a promising Electro Static Discharge (ESD) protection structure in high-voltage ICs for its high ESD robustness. However, its low holding voltage makes it susceptible to ESD-induced latch-up failure, especially used in the power-rail clamp circuits. This work presents a novel SCR-LDMOS with the NIL layer to achieve 17V holding voltage and 5.1A second breakdown current in a 0.5μm SOI process. The device has been applied for 15V power-rail ESD clamp in half-bridge driver IC.