Harnessing the base-pushout effect for ESD protection in bipolar and BiCMOS technologies

In an ESD analysis of the radio frequency (RF) npn transistor in three BiCMOS generations the basepushout effect is identified as a dominant factor, causing a characteristically high differential resistance at low and intermediate ESD currents and a second non-thermal snapback leading to the transistors usual low-ohmic breakdown mode. Concepts to exploit the base-pushout effect for improved RF ESD protection schemes are presented.