Dr. Qiang Cui

Zhejiang University, China

Email: qiang_cui@zju.edu.cn

Speech Title: How to Design Effective On-Chip ESD Protection Circuits with Minimum Impacts to the Core Circuits

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AIs), Electric Vehicles (EVs) and 5G Wireless Communication are three fast-growing applications nowadays, creating huge demands of high-performance integrated circuits (ICs) which operates under high speed, high voltage or high frequency condition. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) has been a major threat since the birth of ICs, and it gets even more challenging to protect against in high speed, high voltage and high frequency ICs because the protection circuit’s load will degrade core circuits’ performance inevitably. To overcome this, we will analyse the key ESD design considerations of the above-mentioned high-performance ICs, build simulation setups with technology computer-aided design (TCAD) tools, discuss different ESD test standards such as MIL-STD-883, IEC 6100-4-2, AEC-Q100, and explain the methods to adjust the key electrical parameters such as trigger voltage (Vt1), the failure current (It2). In addition, we will discuss the methods to minimize ESD protection circuits’ loading effect for high speed, high frequency ICs, and the methods to increase the holding voltage (Vh) for high voltage ICs. Finally, this talk will discuss some real world ESD protection case for high-performance ICs. This talk provides a timely summary of ESD protection circuits for high performance ICs in the era of AI, EVs and 5G.

Bio of the Invited Speaker

Dr. Qiang Cui is a Tenure-Track Professor of Zhejiang University’s College of Integrated Circuits. Dr. Cui has over 15 years of experience in the semiconductor industry (Apple, Qorvo) and research institutes (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Central Florida). He has led or designed several strategic integrated circuits widely used in wireless products. Dr. Cui is a senior member of IEEE and serves on the reviewer panel of several IEEE journals such as IEEE Transaction on Electron Devices, IEEE Electron Device Letters, IEEE Transaction on Device and Materials Reliability, Solid State Electronics and Microelectronics Reliability, and so on. Dr Cui’s current research interests include automotive ESD protection, wireless communication ICs, high speed I/O circuits, and mixed signal IC design.