Patent ID: 8730630

Claim:
An apparatus for protection against transient electrical events, the apparatus comprising: a first circuit configured to receive a first signal and to generate a second signal for activation or deactivation of a low impedance path between a first node and a second node, wherein the first signal is indicative of whether a transient electrical event has been detected at least at the first node relative to the second node, wherein the first circuit comprises a first transistor having a base-emitter junction, wherein the base-emitter junction of the first transistor is configured to enter a forward-biased mode based at least partly on the first signal indicating that a transient electrical event has been detected, and wherein the first circuit is configured to generate the second signal for activation of the low impedance path; and a second circuit configured to provide a bias voltage for a base of the first transistor, wherein the bias voltage includes one or more forward-biased diode drops, wherein the second circuit is further configured to reduce standing leakage current of the first transistor when the base-emitter junction of the first transistor is not in the forward-biased mode.