Type-C interface reliability concern of electrical overstress and design for mitigation

We examine the universal serial bus (USB) Type-C interface reliability concern of electrical overstress (EOS), discuss design considerations for mitigation, and then verify our design by a proposed testing methodology. Type-C connectors feature conveniently reversible plugging and high power delivery, but their smaller pin spacing is easy to induce electrical overstress events to impact IC reliability. The possible weakness for USB system applications is examined in our work, and then design considerations for performance/reliability balance are discussed and implemented in our USB circuits. Finally, a testing methodology is proposed to validate the robustness of our design. With implementation of the EOS-resistant design, on-chip USB interfacial circuits can sustain EOS sufficiently.