Study of current saturation behaviors in dual direction SCR for ESD applications

Abstract

The current saturation behaviors of Dual Direction Silicon Controlled Rectifier (DDSCR) and N+ Modified Dual Direction SCR (NMDDSCR) are investigated under transmission line pulse (TLP) stress, compared with Unidirectional SCR (USCR). DDSCR and NMDDSCR are more prone to saturation current state due to different ESD discharge paths, which are verified by TCAD simulation. The saturation current behavior should be suppressed for better ESD effectiveness and robustness. By increasing the lengths of N+ and P+ diffusion area, the saturation current can be suppressed effectively.