VerifyESD: a tool for efficient circuit level ESD simulations of mixed-signal ICs

Abstract

For many classes of technologies and circuits, it is beneficial to perform circuit simulations for ESD design, verification, and predictions of performance. This is particularly true for mixed-signal ICs, where complex interaction between I/Os and multiple power supplies make manual analysis difficult and error prone. Unfortunately, high node and component counts typically prohibit simulations of an entire circuit. Thus, a manual intervention by the designer is usually required to minimize the circuit size. This paper introduces a new tool which automatically reduces the number of voltage nodes per ESD simulation by including only those devices that are necessary. In addition, a simple method for modeling ESD device failure while maintaining compatibility with existing CAD tools and libraries is discussed.

Simulation and modelling of VDMOSFET self protection under TLP-stress

“…It avoids convergence problems due to the strong nonlinear snap back characteristic, because a single additional breakdown diode is introduced in order to model breakdown characteristics. This approach has similarly been used also by other authors [9,10].…”

ESD design automation for a 90nm ASIC design system

“…The problem of pin-to-pin discharge combinations is discussed in several, with efforts to minimize the number of simulations required [3] [5][6].…”

High abstraction level permutational ESD concept analysis

“…The authors in [7] present an algorithm for determining the most probable ESD path, based on summing up and weighting the resistance in each alternative ESD path. The discussion in [8] offers a two-step approach to the HBM-simulation at chip-level complexity. In the first step, critical ESD paths are identified by evaluating each possible current path with a set of rules including breakdown thresholds etc.…”

“…Some promising approaches are described in [6][7][8]. In [6] a routine for simulation of CDM current paths between discrete, RC-modelled building blocks is proposed.…”