ESD protection considerations in advanced high-voltage technologies for automotive

This paper discusses challenges and solutions of automotive ESD protection design in a reliability driven industry. Various ESD/EMI specifications are compared, which impact the development of automotive technologies and ESD design concepts. Typical high-voltage compatible ESD device types for automotive applications are reviewed and compared including diodes, bipolars, thyristors, and BIGFETs. Fabrication and operation stability are discussed. The main device design issues of ESD bipolar integration are summarized. A product example demonstrates the particular challenge of protecting analog high voltage circuits.