Semiconductor device

Abstract

There is provided a technology which allows sufficient protection of internal circuits from electrostatic discharge even when internal-circuit power source pads and internal-circuit GND pads are formed on an internal circuit region. Internal-circuit power source pads and internal-circuit GND pads are placed in the core region of a semiconductor chip. Between the internal-circuit power source pads and the internal-circuit GND pads, the internal circuits are formed. Between the internal-circuit power source pads and the internal-circuit GND pads, electrostatic protection circuits for protecting the internal circuits from a surge current are further formed. Each of the electrostatic protection circuits is composed of a discharge circuit for causing the surge current to flow therein and a control circuit for controlling the discharge circuit. The present invention is characterized in that the discharge circuits are placed in the core region and the control circuits are placed in an I/O region.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.