Low voltage TVS devices: design and fabrication

This paper addresses the optimisation of advanced transient voltage suppressor (TVS) devices for integrated circuit (IC) protection against electrostatic discharge (ESD) by means of technological and electrical simulations. An N/sup +/PP/sup +/N/sup +/ bipolar technology for low voltage (less than 3.3 V) TVs has been designed by optimising the trade-off between voltage capability and leakage current.