A mixed-signal chip with HV-protected pins in 0.35-/spl mu/m-based HV-technology

Abstract

This paper describes a mixed digital-analog high-voltage ASIC. Designed in a 0.35 /spl mu/m based high-voltage technology, it has integrated a large set of functions ranging from switched mode power supplies, low drop regulators and switchable supplies, over precision ADC and monitoring functions, to high speed data processing and communication. The circuit is operated in a harsh environment, which causes short circuits of several pins to the ground or to the HV supply up to 60 V. Besides the new solutions for common circuits to come to an area-efficient power-critical implementation of the customer's specifications, a lot of attention had to be paid to these short circuits.