What Are ESD Protection Diodes?
ESD protection diodes are semiconductor devices designed to protect electronic equipment from electrostatic discharge (ESD).
These diodes activate when static electricity is suddenly discharged, for instance, when a person or an object comes into contact with electronic equipment. They help mitigate the risk of damage to circuits by conducting excess current to the ground when a voltage spike occurs, thereby protecting the circuit. Once the threat has passed and voltage levels normalize, they revert to a non-conductive state.
Various types of ESD protection diodes exist, such as Zener diodes and TVS diodes. These are integral not only in ICs and LSIs, but also offer protection for connectors and cables against electrostatic discharge.