A Plasma Damage Mitigation Concept for SOI Technologies: Lightning Rods

A new device structure to mitigate plasma charging damage in advanced SOI technologies has been demonstrated that can be easily incorporated into modern-day, as well as future-scaled microprocessor designs. This novel structure offers improved product yields and also mitigates "walking- wounded" device characteristics that oftentimes plague the operation and speed grades of advanced microprocessors with threshold voltage shifts and increased leakage currents.