Patent ID: 6894321

Claim:
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit comprising: first and second nodes; a first thyristor having an anode connected to said first node, and a cathode arid a gate both connected to said second node; and a second thyristor having an anode connected to said second node, and a cathode and a gate both connected to said first node, whereby said ESD protection circuit discharges an ESD current, applied to said first node, toward said second node, and discharges an ESD current, applied to said second node, toward said first node, wherein each of said first thyristor and said second thyristor has a four-region structure including a first well of a first conductivity type, a first diffusion region of a second conductivity type formed in said first well, said second conductivity type being opposite to said first conductivity type, a second well of said second conductivity type, and a second diffusion region of said first conductivity type formed in said second well.