Patent ID: 7638848

Claim:
A semiconductor apparatus formed on a semiconductor substrate, said semiconductor apparatus comprising: an internal circuit located at a first portion of the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of external connection terminals located at a second portion of the semiconductor substrate, each external connection terminal being electrically connected to said internal circuit; and a plurality of outer ESD protective circuits located at a third portion of the semiconductor substrate, each outer ESD protective circuit being connected to a respective one of said plurality of external connection terminals, each outer ESD protective circuit comprising: first and second MOSFET structures, said structures sharing a common diffusion region connected to the respective external connection terminal, said first MOSFET structure for discharging electrostatic discharge present at the common diffusion region to a first voltage having a level higher than a power supply level, and said second MOSFET structure for discharging electrostatic discharge present at the common diffusion region to a second voltage having a level lower than the power supply level.