Patent ID: 8742506

Claim:
A protecting element comprising: a first high concentration impurity region formed in an insulating region of a substrate and connected to a first terminal of an element formed in the substrate; and a second high concentration impurity region formed in the insulating region and connected to a second terminal of the element, the first and second high concentration impurity regions facing each other with a portion of the insulating region disposed therebetween, wherein upon discharging of electrostatic energy applied between the first and second terminals a current path is formed in the insulating region, a width of the first high concentration impurity region is 5 μm or smaller such that the current path is formed from an outer side surface of the first high concentration impurity region to the second high concentration impurity region, the outer side surface of the first high concentration impurity region being opposite from an inner side surface of the first high concentration impurity region that faces the portion of the insulating region, and a distance between a bottom surface of the first high concentration impurity region and a bottom surface of the insulating region is 20 μm or larger.