Patent ID: 7932561

Claim:
A semiconductor apparatus equipped with an internal circuit including a semiconductor element and a protection circuit including a semiconductor element for protecting the internal circuit against damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD), wherein the semiconductor element constituting the internal circuit includes a drain region formed at a surface portion of a substrate of semiconductor material and connected by an external terminal, a source region formed at the surface portion of the substrate of semiconductor material and connected by an external terminal, and a guard band region formed adjacent to the drain region, wherein the semiconductor element constituting the protection circuit includes a drain region formed at a surface portion of a substrate of semiconductor material and connected by an external terminal, a source region formed at the surface portion of the substrate of semiconductor material and connected by an external terminal, and a guard band region formed adjacent to the drain region, and wherein a shortest distance between the drain region and the guard band region in the semiconductor element of the protection circuit in a first direction perpendicular to a second direction along which the drain region and the source region are arranged is set to be shorter than a shortest distance between the drain region and the guard band region in the semiconductor element of the internal circuit in a third direction perpendicular to a forth direction along which the drain region and the source region are arranged, wherein the first direction, the second direction, the third direction, and the fourth direction each extend on a surface of the semiconductor element.