Thanks for all responses, Srivats Partha, I agree with you. If we have to design ESD protection for a circuit, we need to do get the characteristics in those regions and that helps in optimizing the protection circuit parameters. If I'm wrong please correct it. But since the I/O pads does have the ESD protection circuits, we can still simulate them using HSPICE. As the protection devices responds to the ESD pulses, we may need to find whether they did the correct job (How to quantify it?, Thats exactly my question). As per (A Chip-level Electrostatic Discharge Simulation Strategy) paper, they suggest to check the voltage at the nodes of clamping paths, whether they exceeded the threshold (I don't know what value we can assume). I feel from any pin to any pin the resistance should be within some threshold during ESD (HBM/MM/CDM) (I don't know how to have a reasonable value, probably its given for a technology from vendors for their I/Os). Yafei Bi, Actually we have the model files containing ESD effects. But whats the parameter we can look to tell, whether it is passed/failed. Also test modes like PS,PD,NS,ND PALL,NALL,PDS,NDS PC,NC tells how can we test after manufacturing. But I need before silicon, how can we get the ESD performance for whole chip (I/O pads + Package effects), probably not CDM now, as core logic is under design phase. Regards Canes From: Srivats Partha <vats123@xxxxxxxxx> Hello ppl I feel hspice wll not allow you to simulate the ESD compliance of a I/O pad.The reason being HSPICE will not simulate a MOSFET beyond the saturation region. Using HSPICE only the linear and saturation regions of a MOSFET can be simulated. But to verify the ESD complaince MOSFET characteristics beyond saturation in break down and snap back needs to be studied. The lateral PNP BJT formed after the MOSFET breakdown needs to be studied. I am not sure if there is a method to study this unless yu do the simulations with a MOSFET and a PNP transistor connected. You may also have to model the current source which depicts the Avalanche characteristics. Thats how we are looking to study the ESD characteristics in our lab. I hope my explanation is on the right track. Else you might have to use simulators which study MOSFET behavior in the high current , voltage region. I wud very interested to know if there are other methods to do this. From: Yafei Bi <yafei_bi@xxxxxxxxx> if you have the device model for the ESD protection devices/network, then you can build the test benches for ESD event(HBM, CBM etc.), and simulate ESD event/compliance in HSpice. That will give you some idea on whether the I/O design can meet the ESD requirement or not. If you don't have ESD device model, then you have to use T-CAD to generate the I-V characteristic of the protection devices. Hopely you can do the same experiment on the device and see the difference.Eventually, ESD test on silicon is the final proof. best, Yafei __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ To unsubscribe from si-list: si-list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field or to administer your membership from a web page, go to: //www.freelists.org/webpage/si-list For help: si-list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'help' in the Subject field List FAQ wiki page is located at: http://si-list.org/wiki/wiki.pl?Si-List_FAQ List technical documents are available at: http://www.si-list.org List archives are viewable at: //www.freelists.org/archives/si-list or at our remote archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/si-list/messages Old (prior to June 6, 2001) list archives are viewable at: http://www.qsl.net/wb6tpu