Patent attributes
A protection circuit including a detection circuit, a current discharge element, a first transistor, and a second transistor is provided. The detection circuit is coupled between a first pad and a second pad to detect ESD events. In response to an ESD event, the detection circuit sets the detection signal to a predetermined level. The current discharge element is coupled between the first and second pads. In response to the detection signal being at the predetermined level, the current discharge element is turned on so that the ESD current passes through the current discharge element. The first transistor is coupled between a core circuit and the second pad. The second transistor is coupled between the first transistor and the second pad. In response to the detection signal being at the predetermined level, the second transistor is turned on to turn off the first transistor.
