ABSTRACT

The input/output (I/O) module plays an important role for communicating with the outside of a chip or a very-large-scale integration (VLSI) system. The I/O module generally includes input and output buffers. Associated with I/O buffers are electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection networks that are used to create current paths for discharging the static charge caused by ESD events in order to protect the core circuits from being damaged.