Patent ID: 8537519

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: a first switching element, the first switching element comprising a first channel terminal, a second channel terminal and a switching terminal, the first switching element being arranged such that an impedance of the first switching element between the first channel terminal and the second channel terminal is dependant upon a voltage across the first switching terminal and the first channel terminal; a second switching element, the second switching element comprising a first channel terminal, a second channel terminal and a switching terminal, second switching element being arranged such that an impedance of the second switching element between the first channel terminal and second channel terminal is dependant upon a voltage across the second switching terminal and the first channel terminal; a resistance element operably coupled between the first channel terminal of the first switching element and the first channel terminal of the second switching element; a first voltage clamping structure operably coupled between the switching terminal of the first switching element and the first channel terminal of the second switching element; a second voltage clam structure operably coupled between the switching terminal of the second switching element and the first channel terminal of the first switching element; and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuitry arranged in parallel with the voltage clamping structure; wherein the resistance element and the first and second voltage clamping structures are arranged such that, when current flowing through the first and second switching elements, between the first channel terminal and the second channel terminal of each of the first and second switching elements, exceeds a threshold current value, a voltage drop across the resistance element exceeds a difference between (i) a clamping voltage of the voltage clamping structure and (ii) a switching voltage threshold of at least one switching element, such that the impedance between the first and second channel terminals of at least one switching component increases and the ESD protection circuitry diverts current away from the at least one switching element.