Physical fundamentals of external transient latch-up and corrective actions

Detailed transient latch-up (TLU) analysis of external test structures show that a DC trigger does not necessarily reflect worst-case conditions. Furthermore, the classical guard ring latch-up protection approach fails for a transient trigger. In this contribution, the physical mechanism of TLU triggering is presented. The knowledge of physical phenomenons causing TLU triggering enables the derivation of design recommendations for integrated circuits.