Active Guard Ring Characterization for Smart Power ICs

This paper shows SPICE simulation results of active guard ring structures which are typically employed in Smart Power ICs. Active guard rings act as barriers limiting the flow of minority carriers injected into the substrate toward sensitive circuits. The physical mechanisms involved in the active guard rings are confirmed with SPICE simulation for the first time and are in good agreement with those obtained from technology computer aided design simulations and measurements of dedicated test structures shown in literature.