ESD MONITOR CIRCUIT - A TOOL TO INVESTIGATE THE SUSCEPTIBILITY AND FAILURE MECHANISMS OF THE CHARGED DEVICE MODEL

ESD-monitor circuits an introduced and used to evaluate failure mechan isms and susceptibilities with respect to the charged device model. Th e performance of protection elements is studied by means of transmissi on line pulsing, electron beam probing and non-contact, non-socketed C DM tests. The capacitance connected to the source of the protection tr ansistor and the resistance of this connection are critical. With resp ect to the circuitry and protection element, CDM-failure signatures of the monitor vary from an energy induced junction failure to a voltage induced gate oxide breakdown.