Guard ring having electrically isolated lightening bars

A photomask comprising:

• a substantially transparent substrate;
• a circuit area formed on the substantially transparent substrate that is substantially opaque;
• an inner ring on the substrate that is substantially opaque and that surrounds the circuit area, the inner ring providing electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of the circuit area;
• an outer ring on the substrate concentric to the inner ring that is substantially opaque, the outer ring also providing ESD protection of the circuit area;
• a plurality of electrically connected lightening bars that are part of one of the inner ring and the outer ring;
• and,
• a plurality of lightening bars that are electrically isolated from one another and that are part of another of the inner ring and the outer ring.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor component comprising:

• forming a circuit area on a substrate of the component;
• forming an inner ring on the substrate that surrounds the circuit area and that provides electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of the circuit area;
• and,
• forming an outer ring on the substrate concentric to the inner ring and that also provides ESD protection of the circuit area, an ESD breakdown voltage of the inner and outer rings remaining the same even after one of the inner ring and the outer ring has protected against ESD.