Patent ID: 8792218

Claim:
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for a radio frequency (RF) semiconductor device, said electrostatic discharge protection circuit comprising: a first power supply voltage terminal configured to receive a first power supply voltage; a second power supply voltage terminal configured to receive a second power supply voltage; a power clamp coupled between the first and second power supply voltage terminals; an RF input pad configured to receive an RF input signal having an RF operating frequency for the RF semiconductor device; an intermediate node; a first ESD block coupled between the intermediate node and the first power supply voltage terminal, the first ESD block configured to direct an ESD pulse of a first polarity toward the first power supply voltage terminal; a second ESD block coupled between the intermediate node and the second power supply voltage terminal, the second ESD block configured to direct an ESD pulse of a second, opposite polarity toward the second power supply voltage terminal; and a resonance circuit coupled between the RF input pad and the intermediate node, the resonance circuit configured to present a greater impedance to the RF input signal having the RF operating frequency than to the ESD pulses, wherein the resonance circuit is included in both a first ESD current path from the RF input pad to the intermediate node and then to the first power supply voltage terminal, and a second ESD current path from the RF input pad to the intermediate node and then to the second power supply voltage terminal.