Patent ID: 8766365

Claim:
A circuit-protection device, comprising: first and second circuit-protection units, each comprising first and second nodes; and a gate that selectively electrically couples the first node of the first circuit-protection unit to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit in response to a voltage that is selectively applied to a control gate of the gate while a voltage is applied to the first node of the first circuit-protection unit and while a voltage is applied to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit, wherein the voltage that is selectively applied to the control gate of the gate is applied-separately from the voltage applied to the first node of the first circuit-protection unit and separately from the voltage applied to the first node of the second circuit-protection unit; wherein the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are on a common active region of a single conductivity type; and wherein the gate is configured to electrically isolate the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units from each other when the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are at different voltages and to couple the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units when the first nodes of first and second circuit-protection units are at about a same voltage that is higher than either of the different voltages.