Patent ID: 7609493

Claim:
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit, comprising: first and second voltage supply rails; a first gated diode having an anode, a cathode, and a gate, the cathode coupled to the first voltage supply rail; and a biasing circuit directly connected to the gate, wherein the biasing circuit comprises: a first insulated gate field effect transistor having a control electrode, a first current carrying electrode, and a second current carrying electrode, the first current carrying electrode coupled to the gating node and the second current carrying electrode coupled the first voltage supply rail; and a second insulated gate field effect transistor having a control electrode, a first current carrying electrode, and a second current carrying electrode, the first current carrying electrode coupled to the control electrode of the first insulated gate field effect transistor, the second current carrying electrode coupled to the second voltage supply rail, and the control electrode coupled to the first voltage supply rail.