Patent ID: 7999357

Claim:
An apparatus for dissipating an ESD pulse to ground, the ESD pulse being one of a positive ESD event and a negative ESD event, the apparatus comprising: an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit including thereon: a conductive input pad, the conductive input pad having first and second circular arc shaped sections, wherein first and second circular arc shaped sections include corresponding first and second circular arc shaped concave outer surfaces; a ground line adapted for connection to ground; first and second forward biased steering diodes, the first and second forward biased steering diodes each electrically connected to the respective first and second circular arc shaped concave outer surface of the conductive input pad, wherein the first forward biased steering diode is adapted to steer the ESD pulse from the positive ESD event and wherein the second forward biased steering diode is adapted to steer the ESD pulse from the negative ESD event; wherein a p-n junction in each of the first and second forward biased steering diodes conforms in shape to the first and second circular arc-shaped concave outer surfaces, respectively, and wherein each of the first and second circular arc-shaped concave outer surfaces abuts the p-n junction in the first and second forward biased steering diodes, respectively; and a reverse biased clamping diode connected between the first forward biased steering diode and the ground line and adapted for providing a ground path to the ground line for the ESD pulse.