Patent ID: 7196377

Claim:
A semiconductor device having an electrostatic discharge protection arrangement, which comprises: a semiconductor substrate exhibiting a first conductivity type; a first impurity region formed in said semiconductor substrate and exhibiting a second conductivity type; a second impurity region formed in said semiconductor substrate and exhibiting the second conductivity type; a channel region formed in said semiconductor substrate between said first and second impurity regions; a first conductive area defined on said first impurity region in the vicinity of said channel region; a second conductive area defined on said first impurity region so as to be supplied with an electrostatic discharge current; a third conductive area defined on said first impurity region to establish an electrical connection between said first and second conductive area; and at least one heat-radiation area defined in said third conductive area so as to be at least partially isolated therefrom and thermally contacted with said first conductive area.