ESD protection structure with embedded high-voltage p-type SCR for automotive vacuum-fluorescent-display (VFD) applications

Abstract

A new ESD protection structure of HVPSCR embedded into the high-voltage PMOS device is proposed to greatly improve ESD robustness of the vacuum-fluorescent-display (VFD) driver IC for automotive electronics applications. By only adding the additional N+ diffusion into the drain region of HVPMOS, the 112 of output cell has been greatly improved form 0.07A to be greater than 6A within the almost same layout area. Such an ESD-enhanced VFD driver IC has been in mass production for automotive applications in car to sustain HBM ESD stress of up to 8kV.