Electrostatic discharge protection circuit, integrated circuit and method of protecting circuitry from an electrostatic discharge voltage

An electrostatic discharge protection circuit, comprising:

• a first transistor having a first terminal coupled to a first supply line and a bulk coupled to a second supply line;
• a second transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second supply line, a bulk coupled to the first supply line and a second terminal coupled to a second terminal of the first transistor to define a protected node;
• a current limiting element having a first terminal coupled to the protected node;
• and a primary electrostatic discharge protection stage coupled to a second terminal of the current limiting element,
• further comprising a third transistor having a first terminal coupled to the first supply line and a second terminal coupled to the protected node;
• and
• a fourth transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second supply line and a second terminal coupled to the protected node.

An integrated circuit, comprising:

• circuitry coupled to a first supply line, a second supply line and a protected node, the circuitry being susceptible to damage due to an electrostatic discharge event;
• a current limiting element having a first terminal coupled to the protected node;
• a protection circuit coupled to the first supply line, the second supply line and the protected node, wherein the protection circuit comprises at least two transistors wherein the at least two transistors are configured to be resistant to breakdown during any electrostatic discharge event;
• a primary electrostatic discharge protection stage coupled to a second terminal of the current liming element;
• and
• additional circuitry coupled to the second terminal of the current limiting element,
• wherein the additional circuitry is coupled to a third supply line and a fourth supply line, wherein during operation of the additional circuitry a voltage potential of the third and fourth supply line is different from a voltage potential of the first and second supply line.

An integrated circuit, comprising:

• circuitry coupled to a first supply line, a second supply line and a protected node, the circuitry being susceptible to damage due to an electrostatic discharge event;
• a current limiting element having a first terminal coupled to the protected node;
• a protection circuit coupled to the first supply line, the second supply line and the protected node, wherein the protection circuit comprises at least two transistors wherein the at least two transistors are configured to be resistant to breakdown during any electrostatic discharge event;
• and
• additional circuitry coupled to a second terminal of the current limiting element, wherein the additional circuitry is coupled to a third supply line and a fourth supply line, wherein during operation of the additional circuitry a voltage potential of the third and fourth supply line is different from a voltage potential of the first and second supply line.