1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of ESD protection circuits on a BEOL layer and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are various types of circuits which protect against Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). ESD means a discharge from an electrostatically charged person or machine to a semiconductor device, a discharge from a charged semiconductor device to earth, and the like. When ESD occurs in a semiconductor device, a large amount of electric charge flows from the terminals of the semiconductor device into the semiconductor device, which raises the voltage inside the semiconductor device and may cause a dielectric breakdown of the internal circuits of the semiconductor device.
Conventional ESD protection circuits are disposed at a same level of the internal circuits. These circuits occupy too much space, however, which influences the potential miniaturization of the semiconductor device.